Winter Star, Summer Rain
by allcapsbee
Summary: HitsuKarin. Formerly "The Cat and The Rabbit." Set 2 years after the thousand year blood war arc but way before the epilogue chapter. Something wicked is brewing in Karakura Town, and its people are keeping more secrets than one. Or, the one where Hitsugaya goes back to Karakura Town and enjoys the average (HAH) teenager life while fighting bad guys.
1. Chapter 1

a/n at the end of the chapter!

* * *

Yoruichi stood, arms folded across her chest, mouth twisted in a mild grimace. Of the three of them, she was the only one who stood completely still, having been interrupted in the middle of hunkering down for an afternoon nap. Karin's breathing and heart rate were back under control, but a sheen of sweat still lingered on her skin, her uniform clinging to her in patches against her back and beneath her arms. Like this, the training grounds felt stuffy, instead of modestly temperate. Next to her, Yuzu's brows were furrowed and her bottom lip was stiff, fervently ignoring the long stands of hair that were sticking to her neck and irritating her skin.

"You must be certain," Yoruichi said. "It will not be easy, nor, in any likelihood, will it be brief. And, should you fail to do it right on the first attempt, it will blow your cover immediately. Think carefully. There can be other alternatives."

"There's no point in considering any," Karin said. She tried to keep her jaw unclenched. "If doing this means we can go back home, then there's no other choice."

Yuzu glanced briefly at her but said nothing. At fifteen years old, it was quite possible that the two of them knew everything there was to know about each other. Most thoughts were transparent, each predictable to the other twin. Karin knew Yuzu wouldn't fight her on this, would, in her nagging cloud of doubt, trust her to understand what was best for them both. Where Yuzu was indecisive, Karin was unwavering, and it worked marvellously in no better situation than this.

Yoruichi gave them a long, hard look, the kind that was meant to break them should they still be uncertain deep down. Nothing came of it.

"Very well. Prepare. Focus, like I taught you."

Each twin took a stance, feet planted shoulder width apart. Around them, slowly, a thin white veil of reiatsu began to shine.

I'll make it, Karin thinks, even if it kills me.

"Begin."

 _Two Years_

"Alright, everyone, before we begin, Kurosaki has an announcement for the class. Kurosaki."

"Yes."

Everyone watches with mild attention as Karin Kurosaki and four of the boys in their class get up and walk to the front of the room. Eiji Furukawa has a notebook with him, and on a blank page are the words _Beginner's Soccer!_ written with a childish hand in red and blue marker. Eiji holds up the sign and smiles brightly, while the others fold their hands behind their backs and stand at attention.

Karin steps up and clears her throat. "Right, guys, the five of us have just created a new club. Beginner's Soccer. It's for people who have little or no background with the game, but want to participate and learn how to play. The tutors will be the five of us as you see here—

"Eiji…" as Eiji lifts one hand and widens his smile,

"Heita…" greeted by a wicked grin and a casual salute,

"Kazuya…" a friendly, polite nod,

"…and Kei." [No greeting, but his name cues a series of giggles and suppressed squeals within the classroom.]

"And me," Karin finishes. "We accept all levels of players, but the club will focus on the basic rudimentary skills and rules of soccer. Our first meeting will be tomorrow at 4:00 in the arts building, so if you're interested, come and join us." Karin smiles. "Everyone, I hope to see you there."

The class claps, half out of politeness, and half simply from being charmed; if they hadn't been paying attention before, everyone was now. Karin seems to sense this, and looks thoroughly satisfied by the response.

From the left side of the room, her sister Yuzu shoots her a thumbs-up.

-.-.-.-

"I think that went well," Kazuya remarks, the five of them shuffling down the stairs.

"Of course it did. We were total soccer nuts back in elementary school. We're the best people to learn from," Heita says, unabashedly. "Not to mention half of us are on the school teams."

"It's good we all aren't, though. If I were thinking about joining, I'd be scared if all the tutors were team members. The fact that Kei and I aren't on the team will make it more inviting for people who get overwhelmed easily."

"I agree," Kei says. "You look very non-threatening too, Kazuya. I think it'll go well."

"I'm just glad you guys agreed to it," Eiji says, speaking to Kei and Kazuya. "Thanks for helping out."

"No worries. Even if no one else joins, at least it'll be the five of us, right?" Kei says. "Just like old times."

Eiji turns to look at Karin, who's been silent till now. "You, too, Kurosaki."

"Mm?"

"You were so busy during middle school. We hardly ever saw you."

"That's true," Heita pipes up. "You were so busy at your dad's clinic all the time. It was like you were a ghost in middle school."

Karin gives them a faint, apologetic smile. "Sorry. I should be thanking you guys for still wanting to talk to me. Anyone else would've given up."

"Group wouldn't be the same," Kei replies honestly. "You were always the cause of all the excitement, you know. We wouldn't have half the memories and good times that we've got now."

"Plus it was like having another guy around anyway," Heita says. "Back then you had no charm whatsoever. You were flatter than a cutting bo—"

A strong punch to the side of the head cuts him short, Karin shaking her hand out afterwards with a look of mild annoyance.

"Well, I've got kendo now," Kazuya says, as they finally make it out of the building and start shuffling along on dirt paths. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Later," the others chorus, waving him off.

"Kurosaki, you coming to the movies with us?" Heita asks. "We were gonna check our that new robot invasion one. The graphics look sick."

"Thanks, but I'm going to have to join you another time," Karin says, already veering off. "Have fun!"

The others wait until Karin is out of hearing range. "Say," Heita says, "doesn't it feel like something's different with her?"

"I should expect so. She put in a lot of hours at her dad's clinic," Kei says. "I don't think she had any free time. Just studying and helping."

"She must've seen a lot of blood and gross stuff," Heita says thoughtfully. "I guess that kind of changes people. Man, in the movies it's one thing but in real life I'd probably be sick or something. Don't you think so, Eiji?"

Eiji didn't hear him. He's still staring after Karin's retreating figure.

"Eiji?"

"Hm?"

"Everything okay, man?"

"Yeah, everything's good." Eiji looks over and smiles. "Should we get going?"

"YEAH! Robots, robots!" Heita chants, pumping his fists as he leads the way.

Eiji glances over his shoulder, watching as Karin approaches her sister Yuzu, the two of them exchanging a quiet word before slipping off the school premises.

-.-.-.-

"Yo," Karin calls out, slipping her shoes off and stepping into the store.

"Ah, Kurosaki," Urahara says, greeting the both of them. He's sitting off to one corner, legs crossed, fanning himself gently with his paper fan. To Karin's knowledge, he never actually does anything else, save for when they get a customer. "How was school?"

"Same as always. It never really changes as you go on. Elementary school becomes middle school, middle school becomes high school. The only difference is the uniform."

"Hello, Urahara-san," Yuzu greets politely, giving her usual bright smile as she steps inside. "Karin-chan is just being grumpy like usual. I think high school will be fun."

"I'm glad at least one of you is enjoying it, then. Yoruichi is downstairs already. You guys can go ahead whenever you're ready."

"Thanks. Hey, Tsukabishi-san," Karin says, waving to Tessai as she spots him stacking boxes in the back.

"Hello, Karin-dono, Yuzu-dono."

The sisters enter the back room, and open the cellar door that leads to the underground training arena dominating the basement of the shop. Knowing that Yoruichi was probably the only one down there, Karin grabs hold of the sides of the ladder, and artfully slides down in one smooth movement.

"Goodness. You should be more careful when you're wearing a skirt," a familiar voice says behind her.

Karin turns around and bows respectfully. "Hello, Yoruichi-sensei."

"Skirt, skirt," Yoruichi chides, and Karin obediently reaches behind her and flattens the back of her skirt down while retaining her 90 degree bow.

To put things into perspective, Karin respected Yoruichi probably more than she respected anyone else in her life, and she'd changed her hair to mimic Yoruichi's in an homage to her favourite teacher, her long locks tied back into a high ponytail. Yoruichi, in Karin's eyes, was everything that a strong respectable woman should be—powerful, intelligent, serious but not without humour, confident but not without a well-groomed beauty. Karin figured she only had a fraction of Yoruichi's strength or charm, but was decidedly content with the idea of being her pupil for as long as time and instance would allow it.

"Sorry. I haven't worn a school uniform all summer," Karin said, as Yuzu was trying to descend the ladder rungs as quickly as she could. "I'm not usually one for skirts."

"I know. But that's okay. They're only really of any use if you're going to wear them to a date. I guess you don't have any school friends to catch your eye?"

Karin made a face. "Come on. I don't have time for stuff like that."

"Ayy, you can't think like that! You're in the prime of your youth! You should be going out and having a little fun," Yoruichi grins. "Hello, Yuzu."

"Yoruichi-sama!" Yuzu was practically sweating, taking her place beside Karin and bowing frantically. "Sorry I took so long!"

"Don't sweat it, don't sweat it," Yoruichi says, waving her hand dismissively. "I was just telling Karin she should be more mindful about her skirt. Karin, note her example."

"Yes, Yoruichi-sensei," Karin said, bowing again. She knew Yoruichi was just poking fun at her, but the response was automatic, drilled into her brain from when they'd first begun training a few years back. Needless to say she'd started off a much more disorderly pupil.

"Well, in any case," Yoruichi said, slipping off the rock she'd been perched on and approaching the girls, "my special order finally came in. These are for you."

Karin and Yuzu looked on quizzically as Yoruichi took something out of her pocket and showed it to them with her open palm. Inside were two toy candy dispensers, with little animal heads on top—one a cat, another a rabbit.

Karin frowned. "Aren't these just regular Gikongan dispensers? Why are they a special order?"

"Come on, you guys have seen what Kyon's like, haven't you? The little lion's a total pain in the ass. Typically speaking, Gikon are meant to reflect characteristics of the character on the top of the dispenser—" Yoruichi pointed to the cat and rabbit heads, "but most of the characters are incredibly annoying. In your case, I had yours specially designed to reflect your personalities instead."

That caught the sisters' attention, the two of them now looking at the Gikongan in awe. Yoruichi smiled. "Go ahead. They're yours."

Karin picked up her dispenser, with the cat head on top. "Should we…"

"Mm. Give it a try. You should meet the spirits taking care of your bodies for you."

Karin nodded. Popping the top open, she flicked the Gikon into her mouth and swallowed.

The effect was instantaneous; in the next second Karin was standing a foot closer to Yoruichi than she had before, now in her Shinigami form. Her kosode was sleeveless, typical of Shūnko users, her hakama swapped out for black stretch pants. Yuzu had kept her hakama, but wore a sleeveless kosode as well, due to the heavy weight of the standard sleeved variety.

Together, the two of them turned to look at their bodies, inhabited by their Gikon.

"Yo," Karin's body greeted cheerfully, in a voice that wasn't quite Karin's, raising a hand in greeting. "My name's Yuri. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Yuki," Yuzu's body said, smiling blindingly. "Nice to meet you."

"Aren't they cute? They're real twins, just like you guys," Yoruichi gushed, clearly proud of herself. "They already know all about you two. I've given them the full rundown. They'll take good care of you guys while you're fighting."

Her enthusiasm is palpable, so Karin smiles. "Nice to meet you. I hope we can get along well."

Yuzu leans forward and examines her own face closely. "Heh. I didn't realize my eye shadow looked like that in this lighting."

"You guys can admire yourselves later." Yoruichi looks over at Yuki and Yuri. "You two, go and wait for us upstairs. You can…get accustomed to their bodies or something."

"Yes!" they chorus, and obediently turn away to start climbing back up the ladder.

Karin watched Yuri go and made a face. "I can see what you mean about the skirt."

"See? Now," Yoruichi put on her serious teacher voice, "we can warm up by getting you two to spar. We'll do the bell exercise."

Karin slumps. " _Again?_ "

"Don't complain! In order to be the fastest, you have to stay in practice. Put your bells on and get ready."

The bell exercise wasn't complicated, in theory. Each of them tied a couple of bells to their waist, and had to try and snatch the other's person's bells off of them. It was a practice of speed, but it also helped with detecting and predicting the opponent's movements—something the two of them kept in constant practice with. Being twins, they always had to think up new ways to outsmart the other. This part more or less was where the ease of the theory didn't translate into the practice of it.

The sisters took their places on opposite sides of the arena, their bells now tinkling with every movement of their hips. Yoruichi found a spot up on one of the taller rocks to spectate, and crossed her legs comfortably.

"You ready?" Yoruichi called, although it was plain to see that they were; both of them were now staring intently at their twin, brows furrowed and mouths pinched. Yoruichi smiled. Watching her students was something she could grow tired of.

"Then begin."

-.-.-.-

"Right, well," Kyōraku scratches his chin idly, "I'm sure a few of you are aware already, but there seems to be some disturbance regarding recent Hollow activity in the world of the living."

Following Yamamoto's death and Kyōraku's promotion, captain's meetings—and the overall function of Soul Society in general—had drastically changed. Where Yamamoto was the all-power, strict in his orders and unwavering in his decisions, Kyōraku was much more relaxed, and was open to the opinions of the other division captains, making it plain that he was taking their words into consideration. Central 46 had been denounced almost immediately, so any major issues were brought up and resolved by him.

If Hitsugaya was being honest, Kyōraku's rein was much more preferable to serve under. Even if Kyōraku was, technically, just another old man making decisions, he could appreciate what Kyōraku was trying to do in inviting everyone to pitch in their opinions. Plus he'd always hated Central 46 with a burning passion, and had been relieved to hear that the council would not be reinstated. Course, he'd never openly admit any of those things out loud to anyone, probably not even Matsumoto.

"We're not entirely aware what this disturbance could be," Kyōraku said. "From what we've gathered from reports from Kurumadani Zennosuke, Hollow activity has been on a sharp rise, and tends to be highly concentrated to certain spots at a time. I've spoken to Kisuke Urahara and told him to do his own investigations and helping about, but it seems we'll have to do a bit of interfering of our own.

"Now, in terms of those I'd like to send to the world of the living, the easiest thing to do would be to dispatch those who have had experience there before. Lieutenant Kuchiki Rukia has already approached me to volunteer in overseeing Tokyo city, where our beloved Kurosaki Ichigo is currently residing, and she will be taking Lieutenant Abarai Renji with her. To my understanding, that leaves 10th division Captain Hitsugaya Tōshirō, 10th division Lieutenant Matsumoto Rangiku, 11th division 3rd seat Ikkaku Madarame, and 11th division 5th seat Ayasegawa Yumichika as the remaining officers with previous experience in Karakura Town."

Kyōraku turned, and addressed Hitsugaya alone now, his perpetual smile upon his face. "Well, Captain Hitsugaya?" he asks pleasantly. "Do you have any interest in volunteering to return?"

"If I'm to return to the world of the living," Hitsugaya said with a stiff sigh, "I imagine my lieutenant will probably raise strong objections to not accompanying me."

"Sounds like a plan. But if not Matsumoto, I'd recommend bringing at least one other with you when you go, for back-up. Better safe than sorry." Kyōraku addressed the general meeting again. "I'll consider that resolved for the time being. Everyone else will be sure to receive any important updates from me. Well, unless anyone has any questions, I'll bring this meeting to a close."

"Commander," Kuchiki Byakuya spoke up. "Are we to understand that Urahara Kisuke and all those involved with him before his departure from Soul Society are now cleared from the crimes which they were accused?"

"Hm? Ah, yes. That is correct. I approached Urahara on my own and asked if he was willing to clear any misunderstandings regarding their departure. We've had our fair share of messes here in Soul Society, and I'm afraid clearing their names is the only one I've been able to fix so far. But, I'm hoping that from here on out there will be less of these fatal misunderstandings to begin with. Injustice is cruel, and leaves a bitter taste in the heart. I wouldn't wish that on anybody."

The assembly had no comment to this, remaining quiet. _I wouldn't be very close friends with him,_ Hitsugaya mused, _but at least his heart's in a good place_.

"Then, this meeting is adjourned. Captain Hitsugaya, you and your chosen companion may depart to the world of the living as soon as it becomes convenient to you."

"Yes, Commander," Hitsugaya said, although he could tell from Kyōraku's knowing smile that he knew exactly who would be leaving with him. He suppresses the urge to rub at his temples.

-.-.-.-

Karin covered her mouth, yawning widely. She's already read her assigned passage of Peter Pan, her English garbled and horribly pronounced, and now she has to suffer listening to everyone else's terrible English. Everyone's droning is making her eyelids heavy, and she glances at the clock before staring longingly out the window. It's supposed to become cold and overcast later, and she really wants to get outside before the weather takes a turn for the worse.

There's an hour and fifteen minutes left of school still, and last period is advanced calculus. Worst than English, honestly. Numbers are manageably agreeable with Karin, math never being her worst subject, but it sure as hell wasn't her favourite either. _Being a first year always sucks_ , Karin thought sulkily. _They always make you take specific things. Why shouldn't we be able to start picking out which courses we wa_ —

She feels it.

It's sharp, acute, heavy, and familiar. Like a lingering memory of something she'd nearly forgotten, only now here it was again, stronger than it's ever felt before, because her spiritual awareness is so much higher now than it was two years ago. Karin's eyes flew open, a shocked noise caught in her throat.

"What!" she burst out, jumping out of her seat at the exact same moment as Yuzu, who looked just as bewildered.

The entire class stops, looking at them. "Kurosaki twins," the teacher says, peering at them over his glasses, Peter Pan still propped open in his hand, "is something wrong?"

"Sorry, sir, we have to go," Karin said, scooping her bag up and hurrying to the front of the class. She leans forward and whispered into her teacher's ear, something Yoruichi told her to say if she ever needed to leave somewhere short notice.

Sure enough, the teacher rears back, looking utterly flustered. "Yes, yes, of course, you're both excused," he said quickly, now sounding eager to have them out of the classroom as fast as possible.

"Thanks, sir!" Karin said, running out, and Yuzu catches up close behind, the two of them bolting down the hallway.

"Karin-chan, do you know…?"

"Yeah, I do." Karin curses. "Hopefully they're not here for long."

"Will we get there in time?"

"As long as they didn't sense us. You cut off your reiatsu right away, right?"

"Yes."

"Then we just need to run."

The second they pushed out of the school's double doors, they disappeared, the swiftness of their Shunpo rendering them undetectable to the human eye.

-.-.-.-

"Hey, hey, Captain," Matsumoto said, as they stepped out from the Senkaimon already in their Gigai bodies, "do you think we could go visit Ichigo's place?"

"What? What for? He's not at his home right now."

"But Isshin still is! It's been so long since we've last seen him. Aren't you curious? We might see Ichigo's sister too. She must've grown a lot since we last saw her. Maybe she's still taller than you!"

"Give it a rest!" Hitsugaya snapped. "I thought we agreed no more height comments!"

"C'mon, I think it'll be fun. It'll be like a reunion!"

Hitsugaya exhaled through his nose. Barely ten steps he'd taken on Earth's dirt and he could already feel the blood pulsing through his temples. "We're not here for Isshin or his daughters. We've got a job to do. Remember that, before you run off and cause more trouble by goofing around."

"So mean," Matsumoto pouted, trailing behind her captain. "But, where are we going to be staying?"

"I've arranged something with Urahara. We should get going and see him now."

"But we just got here! Captain, come on!"

It fell on deaf ears—or at least partially deaf, anyway, seeing as Hitsugaya could never really block out Matsumoto's distinctive and insistent whining. If I'm lucky, Matsumoto thinks, jogging a little to catch up, I can sneak away for the rest of the night.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

1\. I stole the bell exercise from Naruto don't kill me

2\. So this is my first venture into fanfiction in a really, really long time. I'm not super used to , so please forgive any format issues. I'll probably only continue working on it based on reader response, so if you guys like it please let me know, whether it be through a comment or an upvote (or whatever system they use on this site)! It'd be much appreciated :)

3\. I can't believe this godforsaken site doesn't have paragraph breaks what kind of nonsense


	2. Chapter 2

a/n at the end of the chapter!

* * *

The bamboo door slid open with a soft scraping noise, followed by a dull thunk as it hit home. "Ah, Captain Hitsugaya," Urahara said. "Welcome. We've been expecting you."

Urahara was probably an ally. This was what Hitsugaya believed, but he couldn't bring himself to like the former captain very much. Urahara's smile was eternal and elusive, probably hiding a million secrets that Hitsugaya could only dream of, clued in by the vague, smug lilt that sometimes ghosted the corner of his mouth. His voice was always light and unassuming, and to hear an answer in that voice only fed the urge deep in Hitsugaya's belly to grab him and shake the truth out of him.

Probably most frustrating of all, though, was that he inspired extreme loyalty in his subordinates, so that even if Tsukabishi was honourable and moralistic, and Ururu was terrible at lying, and Jinta was at that perfect stage of early teenage rebellion, it was highly unlikely any of them would sell Urahara out for anything. The only thing Hitsugaya could hope for at this point was for Urahara to count him an ally, too.

"Lieutenant Matsumoto," Urahara said cheerily, stepping out of the way for them. "Always a great pleasure to see you."

"Come on, you flatter me."

"Have a seat. By chance I remembered that you enjoy candied azuki beans, so I made some just for the occasion."

"Thanks."

They sat at the low table, probably the only one Urahara owned, seeing as they always found themselves around it in some situation or another. Everything else looked much the same, for a shop that probably didn't get much business here in the world of living, but Hitsugaya wasn't going to pretend to know much about any of that.

From the back room where Hitsugaya could hear a kettle boiling, a cat padded its way out. It had green eyes, and large patches of white, orange and black fur that mingled and overlapped in no particular pattern. It didn't approach, staying to the far end of the room, but sat down and looked right at Hitsugaya, tail swishing idly along the floor.

"Eh? I don't think I've seen this one before," Matsumoto said, spotting the cat as well. "Yoruichi-san's coat was black, right?"

"Don't tell me you're in the habit of taking in strays now?" Hitsugaya said.

"Ah, this guy? She belongs to Ururu, technically, but she seems to like it around here. Well, we all spoil her a little, so it's no wonder she ends up here most of the time."

The cat was still looking at Hitsugaya. It's funny, but the way her face was shaped she almost looked like she was smiling at him, piercing gaze aside. Hitsugaya stared back at her, in a sort of juvenile staring contest, and neither of them let up until Tsukabishi appeared, setting down a tray with their tea and candied beans on the table.

"We have some watermelon, too, if you'd like," Tsukabishi offered. "I can cut it up at once."

"No, that's alright. One good thing at a time."

The cat stood, making its way over to the table silently with padded paws. Hitsugaya watched as she came over and sat down right next to him, looking up expectantly with her little smiling face and giving a soft meow.

Hitsugaya was unfamiliar with cats, as far as house cats went. They didn't keep pets in Soul Society, and if he ever saw a cat it was the feral ones from Rukongai, which of course no one tried to touch—would chase them off with a stick if possible. So he's not sure how this works, but he curiously offers the cat his upturned palm, like he would with a dog.

The cat doesn't smell his fingers, opting instead to rub the top of her head up against his knuckles. Hitsugaya turned his hand over, and the cat proceeded to arch her back into it, purring loudly and instantly.

"My, my! She likes you!" Matsumoto exclaimed.

Urahara, by this point, had finally sat down to join them, crossing his ankles and sitting down in one fluid movement. "My goodness, you're right. Looks like you have a fan, Captain Hitsugaya."

"Thank you," Hitsugaya responded, unsure as to what exactly you were supposed to say to that. The cat did a few figure eights beneath his hand and rubbed herself up along his back once before neatly slipping beneath his arm and climbing straight into his lap, much to his surprise. She curled up comfortably on his legs, and purred again when he began to stroke her fur.

"Well, it's not surprising. She's quite charming," Urahara said. "In any case, on to the matter at hand."

Hitsugaya straightened his back, waiting.

"I've had a look around, just as you've asked me," Urahara said, pouring himself some tea. "I have to say, what I found is considerably fascinating. Do you remember how Hollows make their way to and from Hueco Mundo?"

"Through a Garganta," Matsumoto said. "The Black Cavity."

"That's right. Until a few hundred years ago, it was thought that only the Menos and the Arrancar were capable of creating these tears in our dimension, but we've devised a few methods of forcing one ourselves. We have Kurotsuchi to thank for our most recent method, should he decide to share his innovation. Now, what would you say happens once you've finished using one?"

Hitsugaya bit back his impatience. Urahara was one of the annoying types who took pleasure in explaining things through questions rather than a straightforward manner, but there was no reason yet to show impoliteness towards their host.

"I'm not sure what you mean," Matsumoto said, speaking for them both. "It just disappears, doesn't it?"

"That's exactly it. It disappears. Its purpose has been served. No reason for it to linger, right?" Urahara folded his hands over his cane, smiling lazily. "Except they have been. Rather than closing, the Garganta are remaining open. Someone, or something, is reinforcing the tears and keeping them propped open."

Hitsugaya leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowed. "Reinforcing it?"

"Indeed. I can't say I've been able to figure out exactly what force is at work here. It appears to be some kind of Kido, but it's certainly nothing I've got in my repertoire. Whatever is happening right now, it's been a long time coming. Someone has been working on this for quite a while."

"That's impossible," Matsumoto argued. "The Garganta are rips in the very dimensions of the universe, just like you said. They aren't meant to just stay open. The amount of disturbance it causes in the human world's levels of Reishi is enough to—"

"To destabilize the fabric of space and time," Hitsugaya finished, expression growing dark. "How many of them are there?"

"In Karakura, currently? Two. I've got them under surveillance, so for now maintaining some balance has not been difficult. But I'm afraid I have yet to get an inkling of how to close them. I can't say I'll be able to handle them as efficiently if more of them are to spring up around town.

"There's something else, too. The humans don't realize that the Garganta are there, of course, but it seems that does not save them from being able to physically pass through them."

" _What?_ "

"Yes. Not too long ago a little boy catching beetles chased one straight through the opening into Hueco Mundo. We pulled him right out, of course, and he remembers nothing of the event, but it was still a worthwhile discovery, even if a grave one."

"And you've been able to keep the humans from walking through them ever since?" Matsumoto said, stunned.

"Well, one of them is about thirty feet off the ground, so that helped somewhat. But yes, we've been careful to steer the humans away. Quite possibly the most exhausting aspect of overlooking these monstrosities."

"Monstrosities hardly covers it," Hitsugaya said gravely. "This is much worse than we anticipated."

"Which is why I'm quite pleased you're here. Watch and observe is all fine and dandy, but it's good to see someone accomplished step in to set things straight."

"Big praise," Hitsugaya said, somewhat sourly, for he suspected Urahara was somehow making fun of him. "I'll have to report to Kyōraku and see what steps he wants to take from here."

"Just out of curiosity," Matsumoto said, "how much does this worry you?"

Urahara fell silent. His head was tilted so that the brim of his cap was covering most of his face, making it difficult to read his expression.

"If I'm to be perfectly candid," Urahara said, "they worry me a great deal. I've never seen anything of the like before."

Just then, the screen door slammed open. "We're back!" a loud, abrasive voice yelled, and in walked Hanakari Jinta.

Hitsugaya didn't know him all that well, only remembering brief glimpses of him here and there, but the boy certainly left a standing impression now. He looked, quite frankly, like a common street thug. His shock of red hair was slicked back on his head, his clothes consisting of tattered ends for a deliberately damaged, roughed-up look. He'd grown tremendously, it seemed, and Hitsugaya scrutinized his height without trying to look like he was calculating if he was the taller one.

Almost immediately Tsukabishi was on him, whacking him a good one over the head and causing Jinta to howl. "Have some respect when guests are here," he snapped, dragging him inside by the ear.

"Ow ow ow okay okay, let go, that hurts—!"

At the entrance, Tsumugiya Ururu stepped inside, with much more finesse than her brother. She'd grown some, too, and lost the pigtails, but otherwise she didn't look much different—just had a high school uniform on.

"Oh. Hello, Captain Hitsugaya, Lieutenant Matsumoto," Ururu said, bowing.

"See? That's how you should behave," Tsukabishi scolded, still pinching Jinta's ear. "Take a good look!"

"Okay, okay!" Jinta managed to shake Tsukabishi's grip off and rubbed the side of his head with a wince. "Honestly, it's a miracle I haven't fallen apart at the seams. Oh, what's this? Did that devil cat take a liking to you, Hitsugaya-san?"

The cat stiffened in Hitsugaya's lap, its hair bristling beneath his palm. Hitsugaya looked down, taken aback.

"Hey. She's doing something."

"That's nothing new. That raggedy stray has been up to all sorts of nonsense since it came here. Total nuisance, and it's really ugly too—"

The cat flew abruptly from Hitsugaya's lap, and in the next second it was all over Jinta, scratching and clawing at him with ear-piercing snarls as Jinta yelled and frantically began to try beating the cat off of him.

"That's crazy," Matsumoto said in awe, watching them and making no move to help Jinta whatsoever—nor was anyone else, for that matter. "It's like she understood him."

"Oh yes, she's a very bright cat. She knows when she's being insulted."

"GET OFF OF ME! QUIT HARRASSING ME, YOU CRAZY CAT!"

If anything, that cat only began to attack Jinta more fiercely, and this went on for a few good minutes before the cat jumped away with one last malicious hiss, Jinta's howling echoing throughout the shop as he pawed at the scratches littering his face and head.

"Well, in any case," Urahara said, as if this happened ritualistically every time Jinta came home, "that's the most we've been able to gather up until this point. In the meantime I can show you two to your rooms, if you'd like. You both are welcome to request anything you need from me and the rest of my staff."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind," Hitsugaya said, standing up. "Mind if I go out and look around?"

"Go ahead. I'll be right here in the shop if you need me."

"Captain, should I follow?" Matsumoto asked.

"No, not unless you really want to. I'm just going out for a quick look. I won't be long."

From the corner of the room, the cat was sitting and watching Hitsugaya again, looking as if it hadn't just clawed off half of Jinta's face. Hitsugaya slipped his shoes back on, listening to Matsumoto politely inquire about the shop in the other room, until he noticed the cat's stare. He looked at it, somewhat intrigued.

"See you," Hitsugaya said. Not once, in his whole life, has he ever spoken to an animal like it could understand him, but apparently this one did. "Don't cause too much trouble."

The cat said nothing, just smiled up at him.

Hitsugaya sighed and ruffled his hair before going on his way.

-.-.-.-

Seemed the rest of Karakura Town hadn't changed much either. Some new shops here and there, but Hitsugaya had no problems navigating his way around. For now, at least, things were relatively quiet, despite reports of increased Hollow activity; a ghost flitted by here and there, but no Pluses, nothing overly concerning. His walk to the Kurosaki clinic was pleasant and uneventful.

He didn't really know what he thought he was going to get out of talking to Isshin Kurosaki. Up until very recently, the man had completely settled into the human world, leaving all Shinigami business to those who still wielded their swords. He'd started his own business, had married a human woman, and had started the family that would produce Kurosaki Ichigo, one of the most renowned Substitute Shinigami of their time. Only dire necessity—a threat to his children, to his new home—had brought him out of retirement, and only temporarily.

But, with Ichigo gone, his father was probably the next best person to ask about recent going-ons in the town, even with Urahara being completely co-operative. And telling Matsumoto where he was actually going had been out of the question; he would've suffered her badgering about Kurosaki Karin for the rest of their stay here.

Kurosaki Karin…

"But what does it matter anyway?" Hitsugaya muttered to himself out loud. Karin was more than capable of being able to sense his reiatsu; it was how she'd found him so quickly last time, when he'd taken a bit of time off to visit Grandma Haru a couple years ago. Chances were she'd catch up to him before the end of the day anyway.

There were a couple of kids playing outside the clinic, probably no older than eight, whom Hitsugaya carefully moved around as he moved up towards the front steps. There was a button near the front door, although Hitsugaya was uncertain of its function, so he decided it was probably safer to just ignore it and knock.

Then he noticed it.

It was only all the stranger that Hitsugaya felt the stare on his head once he realized what it was, but when he looked up at the window facing the street to his right, there was nothing but a white rabbit staring back at him. Its cage had been purposely placed there, perhaps through some well-intentioned idea that the little thing could people-gaze as the world went by on the other side of the glass. It was gazing directly at Hitsugaya now, sitting on its bed of pine shavings, its nose twitching rapidly. In all honesty, it truly weirded Hitsugaya out. This was the second time today that an animal was paying such avid attention to him.

The front door opened, and Hitsugaya was surprised out of his trance, quickly turning to face the man at the door.

"Well, well," Isshin Kurosaki said. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Captain Hitsugaya."

-.-.-.-

Hitsugaya stared, his second tea of the day cradled between his palms. The rabbit was still looking at him.

"I haven't seen them myself," Isshin admitted, sitting down on the sofa across from where Hitsugaya had been offered a seat. "I've only sensed them. Urahara filled me in very briefly. So I wasn't too surprised to see you on my doorstep."

"I see," Hitsugaya said, tearing his gaze away from the creepy rabbit.

Isshin noticed. "Cute, isn't she?" he said, looking at the rabbit with a big fatherly smile. "Her name's Moonbyul. Yuzu got her not too long ago. I'm in charge of keeping her company until she comes back from her trip."

"Your daughter's away?" Hitsugaya said, focused now.

"Both of them are, yessir. Went up to Nagoya to visit my sister. Turning 50 years old this week, but we're the only medical center in Karakura, so I can't close up shop. Sent the kids to congratulate her in my place. Ichigo's still in Tokyo, though, if you wanted to talk to him."

"No, that's alright. I only meant to ask around to see if the problem was noticeable." _So all three of the Kurosaki legacy are gone_ , Hitsugaya thought. _Why? At a time like this?_

"Through a human's eyes, you mean?" Isshin said, taking no notice of Hitsugaya's concern. "If you ask me, probably anyone with a bit of spiritual awareness will feel it a little, but it's unlikely they've thought anything of it. It seems for now the Garganta are still invisible to the living, at least." He tapped his fingernails against his own tea cup, deep in thought. "Do you suppose there's anyone who could close those things right now?"

"Hard to say. I still need to take a look for myself. Urahara says it's some new Kido keeping them open."

"Urahara is right. Otherwise he would have asked me to help close them a long time ago. And I can't say I was ever a prodigy at Kido."

Hitsugaya glanced at him briefly, and realized he wasn't joking. He actually thought he wasn't good at Kido. Out of practise maybe, but the idea that Isshin Kurosaki wasn't proficient in anything was laughable. But then, that was probably something only a few really knew about anymore.

"We should count ourselves lucky," Isshin said. "The amount of traffic coming through from Hueco Mundo has been minimal. In fact, it only gets worse when one of us gets too close to it."

"Us?"

"You, me, Urahara. Anyone with a high spiritual pressure. It attracts them, unless we take pains to mask it. You know how it is. Stimulates their appetite. But most regular humans won't entice them to cross over. Seems it'll keep that way for as long as we stay on top of our Konsō rituals."

"Or until more appear," Hitsugaya said. An ache began to form between his temples. As long as they were in the dark, they were vulnerable to these things. Didn't matter much if they were manageable now. Without a way to close them, they'd have their hands full soon enough.

"Say," Isshin said, "I've been meaning to ask you since you got in, but…is that your natural form?"

"Not exactly."

"Hm. I didn't think so. It may be a lifetime to some, but to you and me, you might as well have been my 3rd yesterday. You didn't look like someone who grew very fast to me."

"It's not permanent," Hitsugaya muttered, because he knew that was Isshin's way of calling him small again. "Growing up makes achieving bankai easier, but it tires me out faster. It's just for the sake of my cover."

"Color me surprised then," Isshin said. "Well, it suits you." He grinned. "I'm sure you'll have plenty of girls at the school to keep you busy."

"I'm not here to chase girls," Hitsugaya said, irritated.

"Of course not. Anyways, consider yourself welcome anytime you like. I'm not expecting Ichigo until Christmas, so if you need somewhere to stay just say the word. I'm sure he won't mind lending his room to an old friend."

Hitsugaya almost snorted. An old friend. Well, he supposed that was one way to describe it. That made just about every chum in Soul Society Ichigo's old friend. "I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

1\. I uploaded 2 chapters at once so you guys could have a better sense of whether you like it or not

2\. If you guys are confused it's becuase a) everything works itself out later and b) I cheat at everything


	3. Chapter 3

The night was hot, the moonless sky providing no relief from the sticky humidity. A small bladed fan had been placed in Hitsugaya's room, but it was old, weak and very noisy; the breeze that wafted over him was just moving air. Hitsugaya tossed restlessly in his discomfort, trying not to let the heat get the best of him.

Beside him, curled up on an old pink blanket near his hip, Ururu's cat (he never did get the cat's name) slept undeterred by the heat, its round back rising and falling gently. It had meandered over when Hitsugaya was just settling in for the night, dragging that blanket behind it, and it had spent several minutes meticulously getting the folds just right before hunkering down on it.

Hitsugaya watched it for a moment, mildly envious, but he was distracted. He rolled onto his back in irritation. He could hear a few cicadas buzzing outside, rustling in the weed patches that lined the store walls. He tried to close his eyes, but somehow the darkness only made the heat feel more oppressive. An uneasy feeling crawled over his skin beneath yukata.

He rolled on his side again, and lying next to him was Karin Kurosaki.

The cat was nowhere to be found. The pink blanket was bunched up beneath her head, her dark hair longer than he remembered and tied back in a high ponytail. She was dressed in a plain white cotton yukata, held together at the waist by a red koshi-himo.

She appeared to be asleep, but then her eyes slowly opened, taking in Hitsugaya's shell-shocked face. A soft smile spread over her face.

"Long time no see, Tōshirō."

Hitsugaya jerked awake.

His sharp intake of breath made the cat's left ear twitch, but it otherwise remained unperturbed, still sleeping soundly by Hitsugaya's side. Hitsugaya sat up, heart beating rapidly in his chest. He had no idea if the dream meant anything, but it had caught him off-guard, even in his sleep. It unsettled him deeply.

Slowly, he laid back down again, turning so that his back was facing the cat. He didn't sleep well that night.

-.-.-.-

Hitsugaya had seen plenty of things in his lifetime, but this had to be one of his least favourite sights to date. Everyone in Urahara's shop was kneeling in a straight line in front of him, with Matsumoto smack in the middle, fists curled politely over their knees, all of them staring at him expectantly.

"Well?" Matsumoto said excitedly. "Are you going to do it?"

"Why do I have to do this in front of you?!"

"Now, now, no need to be shy, Captain Hitsugaya," Urahara said cheerfully. "You must understand our enthusiasm. Until now the people who have seen your aged form can only be counted on one hand, am I correct? Surely you see the novelty."

"And I've known you for over two hundred years!" Matsumoto huffed. "I still can't believe you let Isshin and Captain Kuchiki see what you look like before me!"

"I bet he doesn't want to show us cause he's still short," Jinta snickered.

"Oi, do you want to see what hell looks like, brat?"

Urahara clapped his hands together. "Chop chop, Captain! You'll be late for school!"

"Alright!" Hitsugaya snapped, doing his best to drown out the squealing of Matsumoto. "Honestly."

He closed his eyes, slowly drawing out his breath. It was hard, knowing that there was five pairs of eyes boring into his face (six, if you counted the cat), but he would have to go through with it nonetheless. So annoying, he thought. Changing my body when I'm not even in battle…

The change was gradual. He could feel it slowly seeping into his blood and running down his veins, almost exactly akin to when Matsumoto had tried to get him drunk some fifty years ago and offered him a glass of "water". The alcohol had spread through his chest, travelled all the way to the tips of his fingers and toes, warming him from the inside out, and this process felt just the same. He felt his new body solidifying in place, and carefully ebbed his energy back.

When he opened his eyes, there was utter chaos in front of him.

"CAPTAIN!" Matsumoto shrieked, complete betrayal written all over her face. "HOW COULD YOU HIDE THIS FROM ME? YOU'RE TOTALLY A HEART-THROB NOW!"

"Look at his clothes!" Jinta was howling, rolling on his back and laughing so hard that tears were beginning to form in his eyes. "It's like they shrunk on his body! He's wearing a midriff now! You got a nice tiny waist, Captain Hitsugaya! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

Tsukabishi and Ururu were both leaning forward and making awed noises, an embarrassing blush covering both of their faces.

"My, my! Did it just get warmer in here?" Urahara said, taking up his paper fan. "I'm shocked, Captain Hitsugaya! You grow up quite handsomely!"

"I CANT BELIEVE THIS," Matsumoto was still screaming. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE HIDING THIS BECAUSE YOU WERE UGLY! NOW I'M EVEN MORE OFFENDED THAT YOU SHOWED CAPTAIN KUCHIKI BEFORE ME!"

"Enough!" Hitsugaya yelled, his own face heating up with both embarrassment and irritation as he tried to cover up his bare stomach, pulling on the hem of his now-tiny t-shirt. "I've had way too little sleep to be dealing with this first thing in the morning! Give me my uniform!"

"Oh my god," Jinta gasped, "I can't _breathe_ —"

"I'll make sure you never breathe again if you don't shut up!"

"Alright, alright, we've had enough fun at his expense," Urahara said, much to Hitsugaya's relief. (Maybe he was an ally after all, Hitsugaya mused briefly.) "Here you are, Captain. Ururu has prepared a lunch for you as well, if that interests you. I hope you enjoy yourself today."

"HOLD ON! I'M NOT THROUGH WITH YOU! CAPTAIN! YOU HAVE SOME SERIOUS EXPLAINING TO DO!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE," Hitsugaya yelled, and slammed the sliding door shut behind him.

Heavens. Maybe it would have been less conspicuous to remain in his smaller form, after all.

-.-.-.-

It was hard to believe that it had only been four years since he'd last been in Karakura High. Without a doubt, any students who had been around during his previous visit would have graduated, replaced by new faces. With any luck, either the teachers would not recognize him, or had also been replaced.

It felt odd going to school by himself. He and Matsumoto had agreed to work in shifts; Matsumoto would deal with anything that made its way through the Garganta during the day time, in exchange for Hitsugaya going undercover and defeating Hollows by moonlight. She'd complained, of course, but only for as long as it took for Urahara to remind her that high school kids still had paperwork of their own to do. Then she was perfectly happy lazing around during the day, which is all she ever did in Soul Society, anyway.

The Kurosaki twins are gone right now, too, Hitsugaya mused, strolling through the front gates and looking around. Right now he had zero allies in this environment. He suddenly wondered if this was a mistake on his part. Would he stand out too obviously, without anyone to guide him into appearing normal? _Cause that had gone so smoothly last time…_ he thought with a groan, internally wincing at all of the awkward memories.

"Tōshirō?"

Hitsugaya turned around swiftly, stunned. About ten feet away from him, a couple of guys were looking at him, both with jaws dropped and eyes wide with just as much astonishment. One of them had tan skin and thick, closed-cropped black hair, with a widow's peak that was so familiar it was almost uncanny. The other was in stark contrast to his companion, his uniform neatly pressed at the creases, his sleek blond hair combed to one side, straight dark brows hovering over a set of rather handsome light eyes.

"No way," the one with the widow's peak said, in pure disbelief. "No freaking way. Tōshirō? Hitsugaya Tōshirō?"

Hitsugaya could only stare back, his mind running at maximum capacity, trying to remember for the life of him where he might have seen these people before.

"Dude!" Widow's-Peak began to walk towards him, his mouth still hanging open. "It's Heita! Do you remember? Heita Toujoin! And this is Eiji! We played soccer a bunch of times together years ago! You saved us from those middle school assholes!"

Hitsugaya's eyes widened, nearly choking on his own spit. "No way," he echoed. "You're…you guys are Kurosaki's…?"

Heita blinked, then turned to Eiji with a sigh. "Man," he said, "we're still Kurosaki's punch line."

-.-.-.-

"Okay, let me get this straight," Hitsugaya said, rubbing at his eyes, feeling a headache forming behind them. He looked up again, at the four faces now looming over him.

He pointed at the one on the farthest left. "You were the one who had the red shirt and the massive eyebrows before."

"Dude? For real? The massive eyebrows? That's all you remember about me?" Heita exclaimed.

Hitsugaya pointed to the guy next to him, a mixed-race student with his natural hair neatly cut about a half-inch from his head, his full cheekbones and large pouty mouth his most distinguishing features. "You're Kei Uehara. Your hair used to be a lot bigger. I thought your name was Ronny or something?"

"Donny," Heita said, chuckling. "Cause of Ronald McDonald. Get it?"

"…Who is Ronald McDonald?"

"Well, good to see you're just as weird as you were before."

Hitsugaya dutifully ignored this, and pointed at the next person in line—a boyish-looking student, with soft wavy brown hair and round glasses, currently dressed in his kendo uniform. "You're…Kazuya Usaka. You wore glasses back then too."

"Good thing, I suppose," Kazuya piped. "It was the only thing you recognized me by. And here I'd nearly talked myself into getting contact lenses."

"Glasses suit you," Hitsugaya said amicably. Then he turned to the last one, on the far right. The one who had changed the most.

"And you're Eiji Furukawa," Hitsugaya said. "I never would have recognized you."

"Pretty big shocker, eh?" Heita said, speaking before Eiji could get the chance. "His mom married some big-name corporate guy couple years back, so now he has to look and act like a CEO's son. I'm still surprised he hangs out with a bunch of hoodlums like us."

"Give it a rest," Eiji said, but he was smiling. He turned to Hitsugaya. "Well, he's not wrong. I have to look good for my father's coworkers and clients, so it's important that I look good for him. I don't really mind, though."

"Your father must be very powerful, then," Hitsugaya said. He didn't know what a _see-eeyo_ was, but from the sounds of it, it wasn't unlike being a noble's son.

Eiji blushed modestly. "I mean—sure, I guess so."

"But enough about us," Heita cut in. "Man, where have you been? I mean, I know Kurosaki said you were only in town to visit your grandma…"

The word grandma clicked in Hitsugaya's head, and his following idea nearly caused him to shout. "Yes!" Hitsugaya said at once. "My grandmother! I came to look after her for a little bit! She's getting old, you know, and—and we worry about her, my family I mean, so I transferred here to keep an eye on her and help her out."

"That's really nice of you," Kazuya said. "Karin always rounds us up to go visit her every once in a while. She's a really nice lady. We like her a lot, so I'm glad she won't be by herself anymore."

Hitsugaya blinked, surprised. "You…Kurosaki still visits her?"

"Yeah, of course," Heita said, crossing his hands behind his head. "She said she promised you. And it's hard to say no to Kurosaki."

Hitsugaya fell silent. Kurosaki _had_ said she would take her friends around to keep Grandma Haru company, but that had been years ago already, and he'd only expected her to go along with it for a couple of months—a year tops, maybe. But she still went, after all this time, even without Hitsugaya around to accompany her. It was…kind of admirable. Hitsugaya felt grateful.

"Speaking of, it's a shame Karin's not here now," Kei said thoughtfully. "I'm sure she'd be glad to see you."

"Yeah, 'glad' seems like the right word," Heita mused with a grin, scratching his chin.

Eiji seemed to stiffen slightly, something that did not go unnoticed by Hitsugaya—or Kazuya, for that matter. He leaned forward to frown at Heita. "Heita, behave," Kazuya scolded.

"Have…have you heard from Kurosaki, anyway?" Hitsugaya said slowly, unsure of what to make of the exchange.

"Heard from her? Are you kidding?" Heita said, but at another glare from Kazuya, he dropped the tone and sighed. "Kurosaki sometimes cops out of school for days at a time. It's always a sudden thing. She never says anything beforehand, doesn't even act like anything's wrong. One minute she's there and the next she's disappeared. Same goes with her sister Yuzu."

"We thought it had something to do with her father's clinic," Eiji continued. "At least, that's what she usually tells us."

"But you don't believe her," Hitsugaya said, taking in their expressions.

The four of them exchanged uncertain glances. "We think it's a personal matter," Eiji said. "It may or may not have something to do with the clinic. We're not sure."

"Kurosaki doesn't act like it," Kazuya said, "but she's actually quite the secretive person. She's also a pretty bad liar. She's never afraid to be candid, so when she suddenly starts giving wish-washy answers, it usually means something's up."

"Regardless of all that, though," Eiji said, looking down at his desk with a distant expression, "she's made the decision not to make a confidant out of any of us, and there's nothing any of us can do except respect that. When she's ready to talk, she'll come."

"High praise for her, as always, Eiji," Heita said, stretching. "Well, like he said, if it's not our business it's not our business."

"That's Heita-speak for we still worry about her," Kazuya said, smiling apologetically.

"Hey, don't mix up my words for me!"

"She'll be back in a few days," Kei interrupted, before a fight could break out. "She always does. You'll be able her to meet her then, Hitsugaya-dono."

"In the meantime, she's left us one man short for Beginner's Soccer," Heita complained, draping himself dramatically over Eiji's desk. "Say, Tōshirō, would you mind covering for her while she's gone? Far as I remember you were one of the better players from the six of us."

"Wait," Hitsugaya said uncertainly, "I'm not sure what that means…"

"We started our own after school club," Kazuya said. "For teaching the basics of soccer. It only runs for one hour after school, unless we decide to hang around for longer. Clubs are supposed to have at least five members, though, and I don't think we have any new recruits yet, so we could get into trouble with the teachers if we're short."

"Come on, man! One short game! It'll be just like old times!" Heita said enthusiastically.

Hitsugaya considered this briefly. He supposed one extra hour wouldn't cause any harm. Plus the four of them were looking at him pretty eagerly. He suspected it would be difficult to say no.

"Alright," Hitsugaya sighed. "I guess."

"That's the Tōshirō we love and remember!" Heita said triumphantly. "Don't worry, my man. This is going to be your best first day at a new school ever. We got your back."

 _I don't know if I would trust these guys with my best first day at anything,_ Hitsugaya secretly groaned, but he managed a rough smile anyway.

-.-.-.-

 _I'm off school_ , Hitsugaya texted with one hand, slinging his school bag over his shoulder with the other. _I'm heading over to check out the one at the park. Keep an eye on the one by Sukari in the meantime._

Matsumoto's response came fairly quickly.

 _Roger!_ _(*ΦωΦ*)_

Hitsugaya's eyebrow twitched. "What the hell? Is this supposed to mean something?" he muttered to himself, squinting and bringing the phone closer to his face. He must've been dreaming, because the symbols almost looked like...

A cat?

Hitsugaya sighed. As if Matsumoto didn't already have plenty to tease him about. She didn't know anything about the dream, of course, but she certainly noticed the favouritism that the cat had been smothering him with.

Tsubakidai Park was located about thirty minutes away from the school, close to the center of the town. It wasn't the same park where he used to play soccer with Kurosaki and her friends, but it was close by, and, thankfully, considerably more shrouded. There were wooded areas divided by paths for people to walk along, and a small shrine atop of a hill if you walked in deep enough. It had its off-beaten trails, too, probably for hikers or people walking their dogs. All in all, there were much worse places for a Garganta to be hanging open.

Hitsugaya paused, bending over to pull his socks up as high as they would go beneath his uniform slacks. Last thing he needed was to brush up against some poisonous plant or bug. Then he went off-trail and started wading into the brush, waist-deep in bluestem grass and witch-hazel. Twigs crunched beneath his feet as he walked. He looked over his shoulder, making sure nobody had noticed him, then disappeared deeper into the ravine.

When he came out on the other side, there were only trees left to witness him. The grasses and shrubs gave way to a flat, dry plain, which he stepped onto carefully. He was close now. A heavy, suffocating energy hung low in the air now, enough to send chills down any normal person's back. Somebody must have put up an illusion to steer the humans away, Hitsugaya realized. There were charms that could misdirect a person and force them to turn away from whatever one was trying to hide, and he was glad Urahara had the sense to do that much, at least.

When he found it, he noticed two things simultaneously.

The first, more glaring discovery between the two was the Garganta. Hitsugaya took one look at it and knew immediately that Urahara had been right. The tear was wide and gaping, similar to a person's mouth when visiting the dentist, if Hitsugaya had known what a dentist was. Inside, in all of its ugly and threatening glory, was the deep black pit of the hallway that could only be the Dangai. Hitsugaya secretly thanked all the gods he knew that regular humans couldn't see the Garganta just floating here, or else they would've had a much bigger problem on their hands.

The second thing he noticed, almost hilariously, was the cat.

For a moment Hitsugaya was certain that he was hallucinating. He stopped, he blinked a few times, and the cat was still there. It was sitting— _sitting_ —about thirty feet away from where the Garganta hung, and was staring directly at it, its tail swishing restlessly in the dirt behind it. When Hitsugaya drew close enough, the cat looked over his shoulder at him and meowed. Matsumoto's message, Hitsugaya realized, with a kind of dumb shock. She meant the cat. As in the cat was _here_ , hanging around one of the worst places it could possibly be right now.

"What are you doing here?" Hitsugaya asked, and felt just a little bit stupid doing it, but the unwelcome truth was that this cat had some kind of uncanny intelligence, whether he liked it or not. He walked over to stand next to the cat, both of them now facing the Garganta.

The cat meowed again.

"This is no place for a creature like you," Hitsugaya said. "I suggest you run off before—"

Suddenly, the cat looked away from him, and its face contorted into a ferocious hiss, claws coming out and back arching with its fur on end. Hitsugaya sensed it before he even had to look.

He turned his head just in time to watch a big beefy hand reach out from inside the Garganta.


	4. Chapter 4

The first thing he did was pick up the cat.

It was automatic. How many times had he done this? Swept some defenseless and unassuming creature off its feet and hauled it out of the way? More than he wanted to think about. The cat was still howling, a sound of pure unholy godlessness as Hitsugaya scooped it up with a hand under its belly and leapt.

The hand crashed down onto the dirt where he'd been standing, kicking up a cloud of dust in its wake. Hitsugaya tumbled as best as he could without squishing the cat. He straightened up and looked as the rest of the Hollow rolled out of the Garganta and onto the ground.

It was small. Comparatively speaking. If it were a Menos, that would have been worrisome, as the scale worked backwards in that sense—the smaller, the stronger. But this was your run-of-the-mill Hollow, and it stood at roughly twice Hitsugaya's current height. It looked like a weird combination of a frog and a spider: it stood on all fours, with thin, spindly limbs and an almost hilariously tiny head. It had no eyes, only a black hole of a mouth, out of which a shriek pierced the air and made the branches tremble.

"Get out of here," Hitsugaya said, and nearly threw the cat into a nearby bush in his haste. He pulled his Gikongan out of his pocket, and flicked the cap open to catch the pill that came shooting out with his mouth.

"Sit upon the—"

The Hollow's head jerked in his direction, and clambered toward him, legs moving with uncomely precision.

 _Shit, he's fast!_ Hitsugaya leapt into the air, and noticed, belatedly, what he should have seen at once: a back covered in jelly-like quills, which had been flattened to his spine. They bristled now and shot up like a storm of spikes into the air. Three grabbed him—two around the wrists, one around the ankle—and flung him back into the dirt. The impact hit his shoulder and left arm the hardest, sharp pain shooting up his entire left side.

It's not letting go, Hitsugaya realized, and tried to reach for his sword. The Hollow sensed his movement, and jerked his wrists away from his waist in response. Hitsugaya could feel himself being dragged through the dirt, and his mind raced for the first usable Kido he could yell.

Just then, there was another familiar-sounding scream, and a tiny whirlwind of black and white and orange suddenly flew into the Hollow's head. There were no eyes to scratch out, but the cat did a fair job of clawing its mask enough to irritate it. The quills loosened around Hitsugaya's limbs—briefly, but just long enough.

"Bakudō Number 21! _Sekeinton!_ "

An explosion of red smoke engulfed him, and Hitsugaya slipped from his restraints at once, leaping backwards to avoid being caught again. He unsheathed his sword. "Sit upon the frozen heavens! Hyorinmaru!"

The smoke was beginning to clear, giving him precious little time for an ambush. Hitsugaya sincerely hoped the cat was still not on that Hollow's face.

With a yell, Hitsugaya shot forward, emerging from the smoke like a bullet and thrusting his arm forward, the blade connecting with the Hollow's face and sinking in between two of its teeth. The Hollow stilled at once, and ice began to form where Hyorinmaru was buried, slowly growing outwards. With a grunt, Hitsugaya pulled out his sword, and the Hollow disintegrated at once, particles of ice and black matter dissolving into the air.

Hitsugaya tried to regain his composure, but he could feel his hand shaking. "Shit," he breathed, sheathing his sword. Shit. _Shit_. The Hollow had gotten up on him too easily. He hadn't even sensed the quills on his back until he'd been hovering right over them. It was almost as if his body was out of tune with his reflexes, which was ludicrous, because maturing was supposed to make things _easier_. He wasn't supposed to be fumbling like some kind of human teenager, trying to grow into his new limbs. How could he let such a weak Hollow get the best of him like that?

Hitsugaya spotted something out of the corner of his eye then, and bent down at once. The cat uttered no protest as it was hauled up by the scruff of its neck, raised until the two of them were eye-level with each other. Miraculously, not only was it unharmed, but it didn't even look like it was fazed anymore. It was as if it had not just taken on an otherworldly creature with nothing but its tiny paws.

"And then there's you," Hitsugaya said, glaring.

The cat flicked its ear but said nothing.

"You knew this place was dangerous, didn't you? You can see the Garganta. You can see Hollows. But you're here anyway. Only a dumb animal would do that." He brought the cat a little closer, eyes narrowing even further. "What are you, really?"

" _Meow_."

"Tch. Typical." Hitsugaya lowered him down again. The cat circled his ankle tightly and began to purr, happily oblivious to its companion's suspicion.

"Whatever it is," Hitsugaya muttered, "it's no good to me. I'd better find out what you are quickly, before you really get in my way."

" _Meow_."

-.-.-.-.-

"So," Urahara suppressed a burp into his hand, "if I understand you correctly, you suspect that this cat is either not a cat, or otherwise some sort of hypersensitive spiritual cat that someone may have tampered with."

Hitsugaya stared. "Are you still drunk?"

"Well, I may have been, but I can feel it wearing off now," Urahara replied, his tone as upbeat as ever, but his tired face and dark circles told an entirely different story.

"Why the hell would you let Matsumoto talk you into drinking with her?"

"Well, originally, she'd asked Isshin-san to get a drink with her—"

"Kurosaki too?!"

"Of course! A former captain and his lieutenant? I'm sure they had a lot of catching up to do. In any case, she said to me it only seemed fair to invite me as well, because I was hosting the two of you for an inconclusive period of time. Not that she actually bought anything, as far as I recall…"

From the other room, Matsumoto snorted loudly in her sleep, then rolled over and remained utterly dead to the world.

"I'm going to ban her from my sight," Hitsugaya muttered.

"But that's enough about me." Urahara leaned forward a bit and began scratching his chin, thoughtfully staring at the cat, who was sitting on the table between them. It looked back at Urahara calmly, not at all bothered with being the center of attention, tail swishing a little as it remained still. Hitsugaya had had ample opportunities to see the cat around, but for the first time now he studied it carefully.

Finally, Urahara leaned back. "I'm surprised with you, Captain Hitsugaya. I don't sense even a pin drop of spiritual pressure."

"What? But—"

"Of course, if you think something is amiss, I am in no position to say that you're wrong. But, it would be a great favour to me if no harm befell the little one. Ururu has taken quite the liking to her. You understand."

"…I suppose," Hitsugaya said flatly, glancing at the cat. Urahara wasn't wrong; there was no spiritual pressure coming from the cat, nothing to suggest its level of knowledge. But he couldn't shake off the feeling that there was just…something.

"Truthfully, if you ask me…" Urahara suddenly beamed. "I just think she's an exceptionally intelligent cat!"

Hitsugaya blinked. "What?"

"Look, watch this!" Urahara began to rummage inside of his right sleeve, and pulled out a squat, disk-shaped metal object, on which there was a bright red logo and a picture of a white cat face drawn on it. _Kittens Feast Gravy Lovers_ , it said. Urahara placed it on the table before the cat, right in front of its paws.

For a brief moment, the cat stared at it, and a thought started to form in Hitsugaya's head, probably one of the dimmer ones in his career: _Don't tell me the cat knows how to tear through metal_. Then, with utterly ridiculous strength, the cat whipped its right paw out and smacked the can straight off the table, sending it flying into the wall nearby. The ensuring crash made it surprising that a dent did not remain in the fading wood. The cat glared at Urahara then, not quite hissing, but it scrunched its face up and made a displeased noise.

"You see?" Urahara said, eyes glistening. "She knows when she's being fed cheap canned food. She'll never accept anything less than human food."

"Oi, your tears are starting to fall."

"Cats aren't foolish," Tsukabishi said, stepping in from the kitchen, the rice cooker cradled in one beefy arm and a small plate of slivered chicken in the other. "Even a creature such as this understands that there is food, and there is unnatural garbage. My Princess was very picky with her food as well."

"She can do other things too," Urahara said, raising one hand to list them off. "She can unravel a ball of yarn instead of tearing it apart, she knows how to high-five—"

"Jinta tried to stick his finger in her mouth once while she was yawning," Tsukabishi said. "So she shoved her whole paw in his mouth."

"Okay, I get it," Hitsugaya sighed.

The cat just made little smacking and chewing sounds as it ate, oblivious to the world once again. Hitsugaya could only watch, unsatisfied.

"Don't let her cause you too much trouble, Captain Hitsugaya. Although, if you do find she's trailing you too much, I'll try not to let her out when you're busy."

"It's fine," Hitsugaya said. "You're probably right. Just let her be. Is there any way we can block off these holes somehow? While we're investigating?"

Urahara thought this over. "I can try. I'll start with 39 and work my way up. But, in any case, it's good to see that you're not hurt. Things would be a lot more difficult without the esteemed Captain up and about."

"Things are difficult enough already," Hitsugaya said darkly. "Seems I'm not used to this body yet."

"You've gone close to two hundred years in your usual one. That doesn't surprise me. Give it a few more days and you'll grow right into it. Did you need anything else in the meantime?"

"Yeah. Someone get Matsumoto off of my damn futon."

-.-.-.-.-

"Man, what the hell am I supposed to do with this?" Heita said, holding up the giant Moomin doll in his arms with a scowl. "If I had known this was the grand prize I would've thought twice about coughing up 100 yen. I thought they would've given me a drone or something."

"Nobody's going to be giving away a drone in a 100 yen lottery," Kei snorted. "Give it to your sister. I'm sure she'll appreciate it."

"Yeah, and what has my sister ever done for me to deserve a Moomin doll?"

"Sorry, what are we doing again?" Hitsugaya deadpanned.

It had been two weeks. Two weeks since Hitsugaya arrived in Karakura. To say things had been quiet was an understatement. His original leave of absence was only meant to be two weeks, but he'd extended it twice now. The Garganta showed no signs of closing, nor were they spitting out any more Hollows than they already were. Kido had proven ineffective in keeping the holes blocked—no one could keep a spell going for that long. At Kyōraku's advice, Urahara had taken "samples" (what those entailed or how he got them, Hitsugaya didn't want to know) and sent them to Kurotsuchi for testing. Until they got results back, Hitsugaya had nothing to do but sit and wait.

But that was only figuratively speaking.

Karin's friends had succeeded in roping him in to any and all activities they did outside of school, ranging to club practice to tournament games to strolling downtown. Which was what they were doing today. Heita was looking for something called "action figures," which meant essentially nothing to Hitsugaya, but somehow he was still trailing them all the same.

"I look like an idiot carrying this," Heita said.

"I think it's cute," Kazuya offered. "Who knows. Maybe some girls like a guy who carries stuffed toys."

"Maybe, but that guy sure ain't me." Heita sighed. "Well, I think I give up. I don't think any of the stores are carrying the Accelerate GN-X yet. Probably have to wait another few days. Did you guys want to do anything else?"

"Heita, you know we have a physics test tomorrow, right?"

"…So, the library?"

"You, in a library? I think not," Eiji said. "Last time the rest of us were actually working and you wouldn't shut up."

"We were _cramming_ , and I'd had three coffees, if you recall."

"I think I'm with Eiji on this one," Kei said. "I study better on my own anyway. See you later, guys."

"Wait! You all can't bail now! Someone has to tutor me!" Heita said in a panic, and threw his arms around Eiji's bicep. "Eiji-kun~"

"Ew, gross. Don't ever say my name like that again." Eiji sighed. "Where's Karin when you need her?"

"Stop. Don't invoke her name. She always hits me when I don't get something right."

"Has anyone tried texting her yet?" Kazuya asked.

"Yeah, actually. I did."

Everyone turned to Heita in shock. "You have? Did she respond?" Kazuya said.

"Surprisingly, yes. But her answer was weirdly…weird."

"What do you mean?" Eiji pressed, as Heita pulled out his flip phone. They all huddled in close, trying to get a look.

"Well, I texted her two days ago, saying like 'Hey, you're missing a lot of school, are you doing okay', and then she sends me this."

It was a little embarrassing to look so absorbed in a single text message from a girl, but curiosity got the best of Hitsugaya, and he leaned forward to peer over Kazuya's shoulder. Luckily the print wasn't too small, and he made out the words:

 _I'm okay! Thanks for checking up on me, Heita-kun! I appreciate it wwww I'll be back soon so don't worry about me~_

Hitsugaya looked up, and to his surprise, all four boys were staring at Heita's phone, identical disturbed expressions on their faces.

"Something's wrong," Kazuya said.

"What? What do you mean?" Hitsugaya demanded. "What's wrong with her?"

"Creepy," Heita said, his face twisted in disgust. "It's so creepy. She called me Heita-kun. Have you ever, in all the years we've known her, heard her call me anything except 'Heita'?"

"What? Of course she has," Eiji said, looking up. "She calls you 'moron'."

"Shut the fuck up, Eiji."

"I don't understand," Hitsugaya said. "Did she write something strange?"

"Yes," Heita deadpanned. "The whole message is strange. She never texts like this, dude. You'd think someone kidnapped her and then used her phone to keep us from getting suspicious. It's so… _nice_."

"Don't you text her, Hitsugaya-kun?" Kazuya asked. "I thought you guys kept in touch."

"Uh, well…Normally we call," Hitsugaya stammered.

"Cute. Well, it's definitely weird, is what we're trying to say. To be honest I was too creeped out to text her back," Heita said, shuddering. "Even keeping this message on my phone gives me the heebie-jeebies."

"Well, you can always ask her when she gets back. I'm sure she's just tired and delirious from whatever it is she's up to," Kei said. "Anyways, I really should get going. I'll catch you guys tomorrow."

"Good luck studying. Bye, Hitsugaya-kun," Kazuya said, veering off as well with a wave.

Eiji sighed. "Alright, Heita. Let's go."

"Yes! You're a life saver, dude!" Heita exclaimed, slinging an arm around Eiji's shoulders. "See you, Tōshirō!"

"Yeah," Hitsugaya said, noticing Eiji's defeated shoulders as Heita babbled excitedly in his ear. Poor guy.

Hitsugaya glanced at his watch. 5:46. Tsukabishi would be serving dinner soon; they were having curry tonight. He looked around, uncertain at first which way to start walking, so he decided to just walk back where he'd come from. He'd probably recognize his surroundings eventually.

In some ways Karakura Town seemed a lot smaller than it actually was. Sometimes, it felt like all there was to walk through was neighbourhoods and residential areas. But then there was this, all of these tall shining buildings and bright flashing lights, the sidewalks crowded with people each trying to go their own way. The shops had displays in their windows for items whose purposes Hitsugaya couldn't fathom, some with eerie-looking white dolls that had no faces. A couple linking arms walked by, their heads close together and laughing. It was an odd moment; it suddenly made him remember that there was millions of people here, all living lives of their own. What a strange Earth this was.

Somebody bumped Hitsugaya's shoulder, shaking him out of his thoughts. He heard a quick "sorry" behind him, but by the time he glanced over his shoulder, the other person was already several feet away. The man was wearing a grey suit and carrying a briefcase, the heels of his leather shoes clicking against the pavement. Hitsugaya made out a head of thick black hair, neatly combed in the direction of his crown whorl, and then nothing. The crowd swallowed him whole. Hitsugaya gave up and continued on his way again.

His cellphone began to ring. Hitsugaya dug it out of his pocket and flipped it open. "Yeah?"

"Hello! It's Matsumoto. Are you still at club activities, Captain?"

"No, I've just finished. I'll be back in twenty minutes."

"Yes, yes," Matsumoto drawled. "Take your time, Captain. It's not like I'm rotting away of loneliness here while you play with your friends."

"I'm not playing," Hitsugaya snapped, but he could feel his cheeks burning with shame, because, really, that was sort of what he had been doing. "And they're not my friends. Look, I'll be there soon. And by the way, if you're really that bored then why don't you help with investigating instead of lazing around all da—"

He felt it.

It was as if an earthquake had struck and something was separating the very fibres of his body at the same time. The world around him suddenly shot out of focus, and Hitsugaya's knees buckled, nearly causing him to fall to the ground. There _was_ an earthquake, he realized; around him everyone was screaming and stumbling over, the glass of the shop windows shattering from the impact. His brain felt like it was being pulled apart, and he clutched his head in pain, finally succumbing and falling to his knees.

"Captain!" Matsumoto's panicked scream, rigid with terror; his phone was still clutched in his hand. Hitsugaya knew, beyond doubt, that Matsumoto could feel it too. On the other end of the line, someone was crying in the background.

"Captain! Where are you?!"

"I'm here," Hitsugaya gasped, his vision slowly coming together again. "Are you okay?"

"I—I think so—Captain, what's—"

A roar rumbled through the air, nearly loud enough to get the ground shaking again. His phone beeped at the same time, and when Hitsugaya looked down he saw that his tracking map was open, a cluster of red dots suddenly appearing and blinking furiously at him.

A Garganta.

"Fuck," Hitsugaya hissed. "Matsumoto. Another one's just opened up."

"I-I see it—Captain, I don't know where Urahara is, Urara and Jinta are—"

"It's fine. Make sure they're safe first and then get over here. I'll hold the Hollows off."

"Captain, wait!"

Hitsugaya didn't have time to wait. Another roar grated against his ears, and he clambered to his feet, pushing past the hoards of people running away and fear and bolting straight towards the noise.

The Garganta had opened in the middle of the downtown square, not five minutes away from where Hitsugaya had been. It hung, a nightmarish portal about thirty feet off the ground, and already three Hollows had passed through and were sniffing the air from the ground beneath it. Most of the civilians had fled, and the square was abandoned, leaving only Hitsugaya and the danger ahead of him.

 _Leave it to Urahara to disappear at the most convenient moment_ , Hitsugaya thought, gritting his teeth. _I'll have to keep them contained to this area until back up comes._

He reached into his pocket.

For a moment, Hitsugaya thought he was still delirious from the effects of the Garganta opening earlier. His hand dug around, reaching again and again and finding nothing but the cotton folds of his own trousers. Alarmed, he started reaching into all of his pockets, turning them inside out in his haste, allowing his cellphone and other belongings to clatter to the ground. Nothing. It wasn't there.

His Gikon dispenser was gone.

Hitsugaya's mind reeled. For a brief moment he tried to remember, tried to work back and trace his day from the beginning—pocket before school, locker during gym class, pocket again before lunch, backpack during soccer, cellphone, money, shopping, walking—

The man.

The man in the suit.

"Found you," something trilled, and Hitsugaya snapped out of it to see a Hollow advancing on him, running on all fours and pushing off the ground with its massive forearms. Hitsugaya leapt out of the way, landing on top of somebody's abandoned car as the Hollow skidded past him. It planted its hind legs into the ground to stop itself, and turned sharply to face Hitsugaya again.

"You're not running," the Hollow said, a large tongue sticking out to hang from between its oversized teeth. "You smell very good, too. Why?"

Hitsugaya straightened his back, fists clenched at his sides. The other two Hollow began to approach but didn't say anything, flattening themselves close to the ground and prowling forward like lions. The three of them would have him surrounded soon enough.

"I'm a Shinigami," Hitsugaya said.

In his peripheral vision, Hitsugaya saw something dart along the sidewalk, a small object that disappeared inside one of the abandoned clothing stores nearby. He glanced over briefly but saw nothing.

"Shinigami?" The first Hollow tilted its head. "No sword?"

Hitsugaya's jaw tightened. "I don't need it."

The Hollow laughed, a slow, reverberating sound that took its time. "No. Shinigami doesn't need a sword to be eaten."

To Hitsugaya's right, one of the speechless Hollows jumped.

"Hadō Number 4! _Byakurai!_ " Hitsugaya said, thrusting his hand out palm-down and pointing his index and middle finger out.

A burst of pale blue lightning shot out from his fingertips. It was small—much smaller than it should have been, to his chagrin. Without his Gikon he was trapped inside of his human body, and his powers were severely capped.

Still, it did what he needed. The lightning struck the Hollow mid-flight and sent it into a crash collision instead. The Hollow shrieked as it fell to the ground, and when the smoke cleared, there was a large charred area covering its right side. It tried to stand, and crumpled, unable to fully lift itself.

"Bakudō Number 9! _Geki!_ " Hitsugaya said, whipping around and drawing the symbols in the air just as the second Hollow tried to race towards him.

A veil of red energy covered the Hollow, but Hitsugaya had been a beat too late—the force of its run still propelled it forward, even as it froze mid-step, and sent it crashing into the car beneath Hitsugaya's feet. The car was promptly knocked out from under him, and Hitsugaya lost his footing, falling sideways off of the car and landing hard on the pavement.

A large, oversized hand suddenly stomped down on Hitsugaya's chest. The force of it knocked the breath straight out of his body, and for a moment Hitsugaya couldn't breathe; the sheer weight of the Hollow's grip was crushing him, preventing him from being able to expand his lungs. He clawed at the hand pinning him down, choking, as the Hollow's face leaned in until it was hovering inches away.

"Small," the Hollow observed, as Hitsugaya struggled to breathe. "Not so tough. Next time, Shinigami might need sword."

And then, from behind where Hitsugaya lay, there was a burst of reiatsu.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

so I just...realized that I refer to almost everyone except urahara and toshiro by their first name dONT ASK I DONT KNOW WHY

special thanks to TheSmilingFallenAngel for writing this story's first review god bless your soul


	5. Chapter 5

**WARNING** in case anyone has not caught up or finished the manga there is some potential spoilers ahead

author's notes and comment replies at the end of the chapter!

* * *

"Hadō Number 31."

The reiatsu in the air suddenly condensed, turning red and converging to create a small, tight ball of pure energy.

" _Shakkahō_."

The ball shot off, firing at 100 miles per hour and soaring through the air to strike the Hollow directly in the head. For a moment Hitsugaya was blinded by nothing but bright red light, and he could hear the Hollow's painful shriek above his head. The hand crushing his chest lifted, and Hitsugaya gasped for air.

A person materialized beside him—or, at least, that's what it seemed like, because one minute Hitsugaya was struggling to get his senses together and the next he had a faceful of long light brown hair.

"Here we go," a voice said, a light, feminine tone that Hitsugaya couldn't place. Arms scooped him up beneath his back and his knees, and then he was fifty feet away, the howls of the Hollows ringing in the background.

Hitsugaya looked up, stunned. "I know you," he said in disbelief. "You're…"

Yuzu Kurosaki placed him on the ground. Her mouth was set in a tight line. "Forgive me, Tōshirō-kun."

"Hadō Number 54! _Haien!_ " a voice yelled.

Hitsugaya turned, just as the spell struck of the smaller Hollows. There was a burst of purple light, and then the creature was engulfed in the roar of ensuing flames, shrieking as it died.

A silhouette shot into the air, and then came bearing down on the second Hollow, the one that Hitsugaya had injured before. There was a brief outline of white energy that Hitsugaya's eye was able to catch, but he lost it at once in the cloud of dirt and dust that exploded in its wake. Whatever it was, it had proven effective; the Hollow's scream faded away as it dissipated into the atmosphere.

The last Hollow seemed to realize at once that it was outnumbered. Instead of fighting it promptly turned, making a run for the Garganta.

"Hadō Number 31! _Shakkahō!"_ the attacker cried.

From within the haze of dust that still hung in the air, another dense ball of red energy flew out. It was rotating wildly in its path as it flew, but it was still able to hit its mark. The spell hit the Hollow dead in the center of its back, and shot right through its body, disintegrating matter wherever it touched. The Hollow fell silent mid-shriek, and then it was nothing; what was left dispelled into particles and disappeared.

A stifling silence was left in its wake.

Hitsugaya stared. He didn't realize that he had been frozen for the thirty seconds that it took for the events in front of him to unfold, and he didn't realize that he was frozen there now, too shocked to move or say anything. All he could do was watch as the dust slowly began to settle, and the silhouette of a person began to take form.

It was a woman. That much Hitsugaya had discerned from hearing her spell casting earlier. She was barefoot, dressed in a thin lilac top and black sweatpants with the cuffs sitting high above her ankles; the clothes were mismatched and ill-fitting on her. Her hair was jet black, set in a high ponytail that nearly reached the middle of her back. All around her Hitsugaya felt her reiatsu, one that seemed to trigger a hazy memory in the back of his head; it was almost as if he'd felt this just briefly, a very long time ago, and was now experiencing it from very close up.

Karin Kurosaki turned, and her dark grey eyes looked directly into his. "Hey," she said. "Long time no see, Tōshirō."

Hitsugaya stared. From where she'd been squatting next to him, Yuzu stood up and rushed towards her sister.

"Let me see your ankle," Yuzu said, bending down again by Karin's feet. Hitsugaya looked, and saw that Karin's right foot and ankle were bright red and bruised. It was only then he noticed that she was putting all of her weight on her left side.

"Stupid," Yuzu said, in a low voice. "She said you weren't ready to try Shunkō yet."

Karin didn't answer her. She was still looking at Hitsugaya, and he could see, even from far away, that her expression was ridden with a resigned guilt. It didn't take long for him to figure out why. Through the haze of his battered mind, the pieces were slowly beginning to come together: the Kido spells, the twins' absence. Karin, trying to drive all of her energy into her right foot in order to strike. Yuzu, who had picked him up and safely moved him away at a speed that no human was capable of.

There were no swords at their sides, but Hitsugaya knew.

"How?" Hitsugaya said. His brain felt disconnected from his body; it was like someone else was speaking for him. "How did you…?"

"The cat," Karin said quietly. Her voice had changed since he last saw her, now a little smoother around the edges. "That was me. I've been following you around to make sure you weren't looking for us. We…we were trying to hide. We didn't want you to find out."

That shape, Hitsugaya realized. The one he had seen out of the corner of his eye, running into the clothing store earlier. It was her, in her cat form. She had run inside to put some clothes on after transforming back into a human. He almost burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all.

"Captain!"

Hitsugaya looked over, just as Matsumoto landed on the ground next to him, in full uniform. "Captain," she said in alarm, kneeling next to him. "What's going on? Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Hitsugaya said, slowly getting up. Matsumoto reached out, just in case he stumbled, but he forced himself to rise on his own. He was still having trouble breathing, and it was likely at least one of his ribs was bruised. But he couldn't allow it to hinder him.

"Matsumoto," he said, "my Gikon is missing. I need you to act on my behalf. Seize and apprehend the two women in front of you."

Matsumoto's eyes widened. "What?"

"Tōshirō-kun," Yuzu said worriedly, taking a step forward, but Karin quickly caught her sister's wrist. She grimaced and said nothing.

"Hold on a second," Matsumoto said, recognition filling her features. "Captain, these two are—"

"I know who they are. And you know the rules just as well as I do. Central 46 may not be around anymore, but the law stands. We have to take them in. The Commander can decide what to do with them. In the meantime—"

Up ahead, the sound of rustling fabric reached his ears, and Hitsugaya looked up to see both Urahara and Yoruichi standing in front of the twins, effectively creating a barrier between them and Hitsugaya. Both had their faces set in stern expressions.

"Sorry," Yoruichi called out. "But we're not letting you take them anywhere."

Hitsugaya sighed. "Of course it would be the two of you."

"Urahara-san?" Matsumoto said. "Did…did you really do this? Did you give those girls Shinigami powers?"

"I didn't give them anything," Urahara said slowly. "Captain Hitsugaya, give us a chance to explain. I understand that you have to inform the Commander about what we've done, but give us a moment before you whisk them away to Soul Society. I'll cooperate willingly after that."

"Cooperate willingly," Hitsugaya said in disgust. "Of course. You never did do anything people asked of you unless it suited your interests."

"This isn't about us," Yoruichi snapped. "Do you think we're doing this for ourselves?"

"Let's just calm down and speak first," Urahara said. "Captain, my pupil is injured, and by the looks of it so are you."

Matsumoto looked at Hitsugaya, holding him by the shoulders now to keep him up, conflict written all over her features. "Captain?" Matsumoto asked.

From over Yoruichi's shoulder, Karin glanced up, looking at him from beneath her lashes. She had changed. Her round, childish face had slimmed out. She was taller, her body less awkward and scrawny than it once was, her shoulders pulled back with the kind of confidence that had nothing to do with being naïve. Hitsugaya wouldn't admit it, not even to himself, but somewhere in the back of his mind he acknowledged it. Karin had…blossomed.

Hitsugaya gritted his teeth. "Fine. Your way, Urahara."

-.-.-.-.-

"Ow," Karin winced. "You're tying it too tight."

"Sorry," Yuzu said, but it didn't look like she was about to tie it any differently. With the two of them sitting close together, it was easier to see how they had grown independently of each other. Besides being the same height, there was no resemblance between them. Yuzu was much skinnier than her twin, and less shapely; at this point there was a good chance she would keep that tiny willowy figure of hers forever. It made Karin look older by comparison.

Tsukabishi was kneeling behind Hitsugaya, using Kaidō to heal his bruised ribs. "Any better, Captain Hitsugaya?" he asked.

"Yeah," Hitsugaya responded. He looked across the table, where Urahara and Yoruichi were protectively flanking the twins as Yuzu wrapped up her sister's ankle. Beside him, Matsumoto was kneeling in prim form, clenching her fists anxiously.

"Listen carefully," Hitsugaya said. "At the end of this conversation, I will be reporting to Commander Kyōraku. That is never going to change. However, the content of my report will change based on what you have to say for yourselves. This had better be good, Urahara."

Yoruichi looked over at Urahara, her expression loaded with the words, _you had better get this straight, idiot_. Urahara adjusted his hat over his head and sighed.

"Kurosaki-san has been coming to me since she was twelve," Urahara said, motioning towards Karin with an upturned palm. Karin kept her eyes to the ground, saying nothing. "She was having issues with controlling her reiatsu. This, by the way, was when Ichigo had momentarily lost his powers. At first she only came to purchase my Hollow-repelling products. She was very adamant about this. By no means did she indicate that she wished to acquire any Shinigami abilities of her own."

"So what changed then?"

"Nothing changed. What happened was that the natural order of things came to fruition. Kurosaki-san grew older, and the more she matured, the more her powers grew. The same can be said of Yuzu-chan. Her spiritual awareness is much weaker in comparison to her siblings, but soon she was able to see spirits too. They couldn't control themselves anymore. Things simply got out of hand."

"Out of hand?"

"Her reiatsu was leaking," Yoruichi said. "Tell him, Karin."

Karin winced, as if she'd hoped that she wouldn't have to take part in this. She looked up at Hitsugaya, that same look of pained guilt on her face.

"When I slept," Karin said, "it rained. Inside my house. I'd wake up, and everything would be drenched."

Hitsugaya barely controlled his sharp intake of breath. Her words instantly took him back: the cold, the voice in his dreams. His grandmother, shivering in her futon, slowly freezing at his own hands.

Yoruichi's gaze was piercing, as if she knew exactly what he'd been thinking of. "We had no choice. Leaving her to fend for herself like that would have been irresponsible of all of us."

"That's not possible," Hitsugaya interrupted. "You're insinuating that she always had a Zanpakutō. She's—"

"A human?" Yoruichi asked. "Is that what you were going to say?"

"Captain," Urahara said gently, "you know Ichigo's story now. Tell me. Do you think that makes his sisters any more human than him?"

Hitsugaya opened his mouth automatically, but he found he had nothing to say. Urahara was right. Isshin originally hailed from Soul Society, making him a true Soul rather than a human, and his wife had been a pure-blooded Quincy. He really didn't know what that made _any_ of Isshin's offspring, but based on first-hand experience trying to keep up with Ichigo, it was unlikely that the twins would grow up perfectly normal.

"Both their father and their older brother," Urahara said, "came to me personally. They were worried about what Gotei 13 would make of this. I can't say I knew any better than them what to expect. I owe them both. It seemed only right."

"Ichigo especially was concerned," Yoruichi said. "He was in a near panic about leaving these two while he left for central Tokyo. So I taught them the best way to hide."

"By transforming," Matsumoto said, connecting the dots. "I can't believe they was under our nose this whole time."

"It was a worthwhile technique to show them, it seems. Until someone," Yoruichi glared at Karin, "decided to blow her cover."

Karin shrunk visibly under her gaze; Hitsugaya was surprised to see that, for the first time, Karin looked genuinely afraid. "I'm sorry, Yoruichi-sensei."

"Idiot. You did all that whining about wanting to protect the life you're living, and then what? What good is your word if you're going to be so impulsive? You should have thought it through before going in headfirst like that."

"Sorry, Yoruichi-sensei."

"It's not her fault," Hitsugaya said, surprising everyone. "She…protected me. Her and her sister both."

"That does remind me," Urahara said, looking intently at him. "What happened out there, Captain Hitsugaya?"

"Somebody managed to steal my Gikongan off of me," Hitsugaya said. "I think this was a planned attack."

"And you say this why?"

"The fact that the Garganta opened so close to me while I was defenseless seems like a stretch more than coincidence to me. Things like this don't just happen."

"You said someone stole your Gikongan," Yoruichi said. "Who?"

"There was…" Hitsugaya struggled to remember, "a man. He bumped into me right before the Garganta opened. He wore a suit and carried a briefcase."

"My, my," Urahara said, whipping open his paper fan and fanning himself, "these are some very interesting developments. To think that the culprit would allow himself to literally brush shoulders with you. He must be very confident in himself."

"So he took your Gikongan," Yoruichi said, "and then immediately opened up another Garganta. Sounds like somebody wants you dead, Captain."

"But I'm afraid we've digressed," Urahara said. "What becomes of the Kurosaki girls, Captain?"

Both Karin and Yuzu looked up, holding their breath. Hitsugaya could feel Matsumoto looking at him too, but right now was the last moment that he wanted to be making any decisions. His chest still hurt with every intake of breath, and he could feel a headache coming on.

"I'll report to the Commander," Hitsugaya said, "exactly as you've told me here. From the sounds of it, neither of you actually gave your powers to them, so at the very least you're all saved from a hasty execution. I expect the lot of you to sit tight until I hear back from him. None of you are allowed to leave town."

"Well," Yoruichi said, relaxing her shoulders, "if that's the case…"

Suddenly, Yoruichi reached out and threw an arm around Karin's neck, promptly locking her in a chokehold. Karin sputtered in shock, and tried to pry her arm off.

"Ack! Yoruichi-sensei—!"

"Are you an idiot?" Yoruichi yelled. "How many times have I told you that you're not ready to perform Kido without reciting the incantation yet? Did you even see how sloppy your _Shakkahō_ was? It was flying all over the place! You're lucky the stupid thing even hit the Hollow at all!"

"I'm sorry, Yoruichi-sensei!"

"And what have I told you about trying to use Shunkō without my supervision? Your reflexes are still trash! You got caught by me in less than a second! What use are you going to be if you blow your leg off before you even shape up your hand-to-hand combat?"

"I'm sorry, Yoruichi-sensei!"

"And the Garganta?" Urahara asked, as Yoruichi kept screaming at her pupil in the background.

"Something else altogether," Hitsugaya grimaced. "At this rate we can't afford to let Kurotsuchi just sit in his lab. Quarantine the one in the park and give it enough room for him to bring a research team over. And take extra pains to keep the one downtown under control."

"I understand," Urahara said compliantly. "Thank you, Captain."

"And you!" Yoruichi knocked a hard punch over the top of Yuzu's head, immediately sending her into tears. "You decide to blow your cover the second you feel your sister transforming back? What the heck is wrong with you? Can't you decide to do anything by yourself?"

"I'm sorry, Yoruichi-sensei!"

Hitsugaya sighed, the headache coming in full force now. "Don't thank me just yet. What's the status on the video monitor?"

"It's still being set up."

"Let me know at once when it's ready. I need to step outside."

"Are you sure, Captain?" Matsumoto said worriedly, as Hitsugaya waved Tsukabishi off and stood up.

"I'll be fine. I'm not going to wander off. I just need to get some fresh air."

The night was still fairly warm, but it was a welcome relief to see the moon hanging in the sky instead of the sun. Hitsugaya stood on the steps, shoving his hands in his pockets and examining the sky.

The door slid open behind him, and Hitsugaya turned to see Karin slipping outside, eyes trained on him.

"Hey, Tōshirō," Karin said. She was in her own clothes now, a pair of jean shorts and a white t-shirt. Her arms and legs were pale in the moonlight, and Hitsugaya saw that her training had not gone to waste. He could see the definition of the muscles in her biceps.

She looked at him carefully. "Are you okay?"

Hitsugaya glanced down at her wrapped-up ankle. "I could ask you the same."

"This? This is nothing," Karin said, and Hitsugaya felt a weird sense of déjà vu. It wasn't the first time she'd said that to him.

"I suppose I should thank you," Hitsugaya said. "If it weren't for you, I'd probably be in a lot worse condition."

"It's fine—"

"But there's something I don't understand. You blew your cover for me. I could change my mind, take you and your sister to Soul Society if I wanted to. Why did you do that?"

Karin looked puzzled. "You were in trouble," she said, as if this was the obvious answer. "I wasn't going to leave you like that."

Her answer took him aback. Karin barely knew him. She'd met him on two separate occasions, months apart from each other. And yet she risked her safety instantly when she saw that he was in danger. Guess she got it from her brother.

"But you were hiding from me," Hitsugaya said.

"I was." Karin crossed her arms tightly. "Listen. Urahara…he didn't tell you the whole story. It's true that I wasn't looking to become a Shinigami. Back then, I didn't even know that was something I was capable of. But if he had told me earlier, I would have been prepared for it. I was willing to do anything to protect my brother, my family. That hasn't changed. And if I really thought you were going to take Yuzu away to Soul Society, then I would have killed you."

Hitsugaya stiffened. "What makes you think I'm not going to do that?"

"I…I don't know. Call it intuition, I guess," Karin said. Her grey eyes were reflecting the moonlight a little. "But the Tōshirō I know…I don't think you'd do that."

"You don't me at all, then," Hitsugaya said coldly.

Karin stared at him, but said nothing. She doesn't believe me, Hitsugaya realized. She really had that much faith in him. It was written all over her face.

"Fool," Hitsugaya said. "You're going to get yourself killed one day."

"We'll see," Karin said, and, to Hitsugaya's surprise, she smiled at him. "Hey. Can I tell you something?"

Hitsugaya frowned. "What is it?"

"I like the way you look right now."

To Hitsugaya's extreme embarrassment, he could feel his face turning a bright red. "W-What the hell? What is it with you and everyone else—?"

"I gotta get Yuzu home," Karin said, as if nothing had happened. "The old man's probably freaking out right now. I promise we're not going anywhere, alright? You'll see us in class tomorrow morning."

Heavens. Class. Going to school sounded more like a curse with the way Hitsugaya was feeling right now. "Yeah, fine. As long as you two don't cause me any more trouble."

"Thanks," Karin said, smile widening. "I'll see you at school, Tōshirō."

"Yeah," Hitsugaya said, and watched as Karin turned back and slid the door open enough to poke her head through.

"Yuzu, we're go—"

"You think you can get out of a scolding that easily?" Yoruichi's voice cut through the night air, and Karin was abruptly yanked back into the shop.

"Ow ow ow ow ow! Let go! Yoruichi-sensei, that hurts—!"

"It'll hurt more if you keep struggling."

Hitsugaya ran his hand over his face. He needed to sleep.

* * *

Author's Notes

listen I'm going to be straight with all of you I've never actually read the manga or watched the anime all the way through sldjlfkj so if there's any inconsistencies give me a shout

also exams are coming up so I might not be able to update as often but please bear with me!

 **darkmist111** \- as soon as I saw your comment I almost laughed cause of course I knew what the next chapter would hold so I was excited to post this lol

 **darknights800** \- thank you so much! I'm really glad you're enjoying it :D

 **merryMinx** \- thanks my dude!

 **Rinusagitora** \- I'm not gonna lie this comment stressed me the FUCK OUT LOL I mean don't get me wrong I was so so happy to see so much praise for the story, it really felt like you had paid careful attention and noticed all the little details and I was really touched that you had such good things to say about it but now I'm like terrified that I'll somehow crush all your hopes and dreams lmfao BUT I'm going to try really hard to keep writing good things so that your opinion of me does not go downhill, thank you so so much for your wonderful kind words, it really made my day :')


	6. Chapter 6

a/n and comment replies at the end of the chapter!

* * *

"Well," Kyōraku said, "you have been busy, Captain Hitsugaya."

"I wish it weren't the case," Hitsugaya said, arms folded. He was dressed in his school uniform, which the Commander had poked fun at for a good minute, and his bag was packed next to his feet, Ururu's lunch cooling inside of it.

Kyōraku's face loomed over him, the entire back wall of the storage room converted into one massive video chat screen. "The girls," he said. "Do you consider them dangerous?"

"Hardly. They might pack a punch sometime in the future, but for now there's not much to see. Neither of them have attained Shikai yet. Yoruichi Shihoin is still training them in the basics of combat, from what I can see."

"I wouldn't be so quick to turn your nose up at them. They're Ichigo's sisters, after all."

"Like I said," Hitsugaya stated. "Maybe someday."

"Well, it's good to see you're handling things so well. You're certainly getting more than what you signed up for."

"I'm trying my best."

"I'm glad. I'll give you the research team you requested. Kurotsuchi won't be happy, but he'll be busy working with his new toy soon enough. In the meantime, keep the girls under surveillance for me. If there's anything to suggest that they're getting out of control, or that Urahara is hiding more than he's let on, give me a call back. Keep an eye on Shihoin, too. She's a feisty one. I wouldn't be surprised if she has a few more tricks up her sleeve."

"Understood, Commander."

"Well, try and have some fun," Kyōraku said cheerfully. "I can't afford to pull one of my best out of there anytime soon. You may be there for the long haul, Captain Hitsugaya."

Hitsugaya sighed. "I anticipated as much."

"I trust you to do what's best. Take care, Captain."

The screen went blank.

-.-.-.-.-

"Dude," Heita said, "this is a new low. Even for you."

"Shut up," Karin said, dropping into her seat. Her ankle was still visibly bandaged, even with her shoes and socks on. Hitsugaya couldn't help but think about how strange it was to see her in a school uniform. For someone so tomboyish, her skirt almost seemed like a greater handicap than her injury. It suited her, though, if he was being honest. Across the room, Yuzu's friends crowded her desk, tittering in hushed voices and glancing over at their group.

"I mean, if it was club or gym, then sure, but walking? I've never seen you trip in my whole life."

"Never you mind," Kazuya said. "Does it hurt, Kurosaki-san?"

"A little," Karin said. "Not a whole lot, though. I can walk for a bit before it starts to bother me."

"You always did recover pretty fast," Kei said, leaning against Heita's desk. "You think you can recover in time for Sports Day?"

"My bet is yes," Heita said. "It's still three days away."

"Plus we don't have much firepower without Kurosaki-san anyway," Kazuya admitted.

"What? What do you mean? What about me?"

"Heita, last year you dropped the discus on your foot and broke three of your toes. It's hard to count you in for much."

Amidst Heita's ensuing yells, Eiji tapped Karin's elbow. "You sure you're okay?" he asked, in a lowered voice.

Hitsugaya sensed that he was trying to speak privately, and turned away to face the front, pulling his books out of his backpack.

"Yeah, I'm alright," he heard Karin respond. "Sorry if I worried you guys."

"It's fine. I just thought maybe your aunt was sick or something. I mean, your dad told us you were visiting her, so I figured…"

"Oh," Karin said, and Hitsugaya could sense her piecing everything together. "No, I…I'm sorry. I should have said something before I left. It probably sucks, having someone so flaky as a friend, huh?"

"Don't say that. We're happy to have you around when we can."

"Thanks, Eiji. I appreciate it."

There was a long pause. "Listen," Eiji murmured, "don't take this the wrong way. You don't have to tell us the truth, okay? But I've been meaning to ask…are you—"

"And why the hell aren't you defending me?" Heita suddenly yelled, breaking into the conversation. "Kurosaki! You were there! Tell them I really did win first place during the bean bag throw last year!"

"Uh—I don't know," Karin said, suddenly standing up in her seat. Her face looked slightly pale. "Sorry, I just remembered. I have to talk to Tōshirō about something."

"What?" Hitsugaya and Heita chorused.

"Come on," Karin urged, grabbing Hitsugaya by the wrist and pulling him out from behind his desk.

"What the hell? You two walked in here together! How did you not ask him before? And you still haven't explained this!" Heita said, pulling his cellphone out and waving it wildly in front of him. "Hey! Kurosaki—!"

" _Later!_ " Karin said, at the same time that Hitsugaya snapped, "We didn't walk here together!", and then Karin slammed the classroom door behind them and dragged him down the hall.

-.-.-.-.-

"Stop," Hitsugaya said finally, pulling his wrist free of Karin's grasp. "You're hurting your ankle. And you made a scene."

"Heita makes scenes all the time. It's nothing new," Karin responded, ignoring the first comment. Hitsugaya could see the lines on her forehead were tight with pain. "Sorry. It's just—I had to get out of there."

"I can tell." Hitsugaya glanced around. They were alone on the school rooftop; the morning bell would ring at any second, which meant that everyone was in their classes and not around to eavesdrop.

"What was wrong with that message, anyway?" Hitsugaya asked, looking over at her. "The one you sent to Toujoin."

"My Gikon sent it," Karin said. She took an impromptu seat on the ground, her back against the fence. "She was hiding in my body while I was busy being a cat. I guess she thought it'd be less suspicious than ignoring it."

"Toujoin doesn't seem to think so."

"Yeah, I don't blame him. I almost threw up a little when I saw that message too."

Hitsugaya rested his arms over the top of the gate, staring out at the school grounds below. Preparations had already begun for Sports Day. Several canopies had already been set up around the track field, and strings of white flags criss-crossed over the venue.

"Since we're here anyway now," he said, "I have something to tell you."

"Yeah?"

"Spoke with the Commander this morning. Gave me a pretty diplomatic response, but I think you and your sister aren't in danger of being beheaded anytime soon."

Karin's body sagged with relief. "Thank God. I didn't sleep all that well last night."

"That being said, I'd watch yourself if I were you. They'll be waiting to see if you slip up, something to suggest you're more of a danger than an aid. They're probably cutting you some slack because of your brother, but that doesn't mean you can't change their mind. And I've seen how you can get, Kurosaki."

Karin laughed. "You can call me Karin, you know. There's three of us here. You'll have to call us apart at some point."

She spread her injured foot out in front of her, grimacing. Hitsugaya noticed, and remembered something.

"Furukawa seems worried about you," he said.

"They all are." Karin tried to massage her shin. "I don't like lying to them. They've been my friends for as long as I can remember. Don't get me wrong, I would never say anything that might bring them harm. But it still doesn't feel fair to them."

"That's not unusual. Sometimes we have no choice but to hide things."

Karin looked up at him. "Do you really believe that?" she asked.

Hitsugaya opened his mouth, then closed it briefly. "No," he said, and sighed. "I used to. I thought it was easier if the problem was only mine to be troubled with, and not anyone else's. It's funny. Your brother was the one who told me that I was wrong."

"Ichi-nii did?" Karin looked surprised. "I didn't realize you two were so close."

"I wouldn't say that. Your brother just does a good job of sticking his nose in everyone else's business. Although I guess I can't complain." Hitsugaya glanced over. "Maybe I'm not the best person to ask, but friends…friends want to help each other. It's hard, in your position, but if there's anything else troubling you—things that don't have to do with your powers—maybe let them help. I think they'd feel a lot more reassured for it."

"Other things, huh?" Karin thought that over for a bit, studying her bandaged ankle. For a minute it was quiet.

"You were telling the truth, weren't you?" she said. "You're really not that young."

"I've been telling you that forever," Hitsugaya said, annoyed. "You only believe me now?"

"It was different back then. I didn't know any better."

Karin moved as if to stand up. Hitsugaya remembered her ankle, and reached out his hand. "Here," he said.

"It's really not that bad," Karin said, but she took it anyway, let him help her stand. It wasn't the first time Hitsugaya had helped her up, but somehow this was different. She had to mind her skirt as she got up, and her palm was surprisingly soft in his own, not at all made of calloused skin and bony knuckles like he'd anticipated.

"By the way," Karin said, "sorry if this is kind of creepy, but…when I was hanging around the shop as a cat, I noticed you didn't look very comfortable when you slept. If you want, you can use Ichi-nii's room while you're here. His bed might be more comfortable."

"I know. Your dad already—"

"We have air conditioning too."

Hitsugaya's head snapped up. "You do?"

"Yeah." Karin grinned. "Why? Not enjoying the summer weather?"

He wasn't. In fact, it was killing him. No matter how slow he walked, no matter how still he lay, his skin always felt sticky and disgusting sweaty, gathering in patches over his back and beneath his armpits, pooling in his hair. He could feel it now, breaking out along the back of his neck, the temptation before him strong.

"Fine," he said, the word nearly strangled out of his throat. "I'll—I'll make preparations to settle in tomorrow."

"Fine by me," Karin said, pleased. "Come on. We should get to class."

-.-.-.-.-

"Oh my," Grandma Haru said, eyebrows lifting a little. Her deep wrinkles made it look as though her eyes were smiling. "Tōshirō-chan. Is that really you?"

"Yeah," Hitsugaya said, embarrassed. "Is it weird?"

"Not at all. You look lovely. You're so tall now. Come in, come in."

Her age was upon her now. She walked much slower than before, slippers shuffling in tiny steps across the floorboards, her back a little more hunched over. Hitsugaya took the offered candied azuki beans, but said no to the tea. He could see that her gnarled hands troubled her.

He looked around. "It's quiet today," he said. There weren't nearly as many spirits hanging around as he'd seen previously. He'd counted four since walking through her front door.

Grandma Haru took a moment to sit next to him, needing the aid of Hitsugaya's hand on her elbow to shakily lower herself down. She wrung her hands in her lap and sighed. "It's dangerous, these days," she said. "I know you must feel it too. Something in the air has changed. The spirits tell me more and more monsters have been appearing."

"Yeah," Hitsugaya said. "I was worried. I came to see if they were bothering you too much."

"Not me. But it has been risky for the spirits. With them all crowded in one area like this, it's easier for the monsters to smell them out." She waved her hand in front of her. "I told them not to visit me so often anymore. I'd hate for them to be eaten because they were keeping an old lady company."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You're here now, so I trust you're keeping things under control. And your girlfriend comes and keeps me company. Speaking of, how come Karin-chan isn't with you today?"

"She's not my girlfriend," Hitsugaya said, turning red. "And she had something else to do." Truthfully, Karin had wanted to come with him, but Hitsugaya had hinted that this visit was something he wanted to do in private, so she respected his wishes and went to train with Urahara instead. It was a needed break. Seemed like all he's had time to think about lately was the Kurosaki twins.

"Rowdy bunch of boys she's got with her," Grandma Haru said, smiling to herself. "It's good to see that she can keep up with them." She folded her hands together and looked up at the sky. "Did you already know she was a Shinigami? When you first met her?"

"She wasn't," Hitsugaya replied. "And she's not. Not really. I don't know what to call her."

"But she performs Konsō, doesn't she?"

The question surprised him. "I…I don't know. I haven't thought to ask her, actually."

"Well," Grandma Haru said, "if she kills those monsters, and help spirits pass on, I think that would make her a Shinigami. That's what I understood Shinigami to be, anyway."

"It feels more complicated than that," Hitsugaya sighed. "Her whole family is strange. It's impossible to predict what any of them will do in a given situation."

"Well, as long it's the right thing, then that's what should count in the end. Eat more, I've got plenty of these."

"Thanks." He popped a few more candied beans into his mouth. "Is there anything else unusual that you've noticed lately?"

"Can't say I have. My spiritual awareness is only so strong. Just a general sense of something being not quite right. Although," Grandma Haru said, "I did have an usual visitor the other day."

Hitsugaya looked over sharply. "You did?"

"Yes. It was a young man, wearing the same school uniform that you've got on now. He was asking if Karin-chan lived here with me, and if I was her grandmother. Very polite boy, but he spoke rather…unusually."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I don't know. It's not easy to describe. Just the way he spoke was very unusual. It felt as if he was always saying two different things to me at the same time. But he was no bother to me. I told him that Karin-chan was just kind enough to visit me sometimes, and he thanked me and went on his way. Haven't seen him since."

For a moment Grandma Haru went silent. "To tell you the truth," she said, "there wasn't anything to suggest that something was off, but when Karin-chan visited me again after that, I couldn't bring myself to tell her that someone had come looking for her. I don't know why. It was very deep, instinctive feeling. And I still haven't told her. But, I thought it safe to tell you. Please, keep an eye on her, will you?"

"Yeah," Hitsugaya said quietly, deep in thought. "I will."

"She's a bright, wonderful girl. I'd hate for something to happen to her." Grandma Haru took a deep breath. "Well, I can see the warm air is bothering you. Shall we go in and turn on the fan?"

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

It's Wednesday my dudes *pops confetti*

Still in exam mode but I managed to push this bit out for ya so don't worry I haven't died yet

 **darkmist111** \- yep they're alive! no reason for them to have died hahaha

 **Guest** \- I have no idea if this chapter helped at all lol but your second guess is correct it was Karin and Yuzu avoiding Toshiro! Thank you for the lovely praise ^^


	7. Chapter 7

author's notes and comment replies at the end of the chapter!

* * *

The front door opened, and there stood Isshin Kurosaki, whose impressive height and stature nearly took up the entire doorframe. "Welcome, Captain!" he trumpeted. "Oh? Looks like you don't have very much on you."

"I wasn't planning to be here for very long," Hitsugaya said flatly, stepping inside. He was already regretting this. He'd forgotten how much energy his old captain had in him. Just standing this close to someone who yelled so often exhausted him.

"Well, no worries. You're still pretty short, but I'm sure Ichigo's old clothes would fit you if need be."

"I'm not that short!"

"Oh? You're here already," Karin said, stepping out from the living room. "You get here okay?"

"Yeah."

"Come on, then. I'll show you to your room."

"Hi, Hitsugaya-kun!" Yuzu called from the kitchen, both hands submerged in sudsy water. Hitsugaya had shut down the "Tōshirō-kun" pretty fast—Karin had only ever referred to him by his first name, so Yuzu had only discovered what his last name was recently, but he was still quick to correct her. There was already one too many people calling him by his first name. He didn't need it to become a trend.

"Hey," he called in passing. "Thanks for having me."

"It's no trouble! It's fun having guests around. Dad was complaining that the balance was off now that Onī-chan is gone."

"Yeah, now he'll have someone else to bully instead of me," Karin muttered under her breath.

Ichigo's room looked the same since Hitsugaya last saw it, albeit a lot more spacious without the entire Gotei 13 crowded inside of it. The pieces of paper that had littered the bulletin board and the wall above his bed were gone, leaving it looking extra bare. The covers on his bed were neatly pressed and smoothed from wrinkles, showing just how long it had been since someone had slept in it. Most importantly, though, it was a glorious 17° Celsius in here. Hitsugaya breathed a sigh of relief.

"There's extra pillows and towels in the closet if you need them," Karin said, sliding open the door to show him. "Think you'll need anything else?"

"No, this is fine."

"That's good." Karin spun the desk chair around, and plopped herself down on it. "So? Hear anything new?"

"From who?"

"Your research team."

"Kurotsuchi? No, he's still got the park quarantined. Besides, I try to talk with him as little as I can. I'd rather wait to hear it second-hand from Urahara than have to ask him myself."

"Oh?" Karin said, interested. "So not all the captains get along?"

"Depends on how you define 'getting along'."

"Ichi-nii never did tell me much about Soul Society," Karin said, crossing her arms over the back of her chair and resting her chin on them. "We used to try and ask Yoruichi-sensei about it, but she got tired of being asked after a while and said 'enough'."

"I don't blame her." Hitsugaya set his belongings down, and took a seat on the edge of the bed. "It gets a little monotonous after about fifty years."

"What about the man, then? The one who took your Gikongan."

"What about him?"

"You don't remember anything else?"

Hitsugaya thought for a moment. "Nothing particularly useful. He was probably hiding his reiatsu, because I didn't sense anything from him. Otherwise I would have taken more notice."

"Well…" Karin spun towards the desk, and pulled a sheet of paper and a pen towards her. "Describe what he looks like again? So that I know what to look for if I notice anything suspicious."

Hitsugaya stared. "You're not going to draw him, are you?"

"Dude, _no_. I'm writing myself a list."

"He had black hair, then. Tall, probably close to 160cm. He had a grey suit on, and his shoes clicked when he walked. And he was carrying a briefcase, but it was made of some kind of tough fabric. And it had a flap over it, and a long strap."

Karin stopped writing abruptly, then looked over at him. "Did it have a symbol on it?"

"What?"

"That wasn't a briefcase. It had a bunch of pockets and zippers on it, right?"

Hitsugaya looked at her sharply. "How did you know that?"

"Because you just described a laptop bag, not a briefcase. He was wearing a suit, right? So he's probably a company man. If it's a big one, then usually the company gives their employees minor handouts. Like a mug or a water bottle, or a laptop bag. Was there a symbol on it?"

Something clicked in Hitsugaya's brain. "Yes," he said, and stood up and moved with haste towards the desk. Karin scooted over to give him room, watching as Hitsugaya took up the pen and began to draw. He didn't mean to, but from this close he caught the scent of soap from her hair, slightly damp in her ponytail. She must have just washed up.

"This," Hitsugaya said, pointing. It was three arrowheads, one pointing north, east and west, connected at the cross sections. "Except it was white, not blue."

"You're totally sure, right?" Karin examined it, eyes narrowed. "It doesn't look like anything I've seen before, but if you're sure this is really it…"

"Yes. There's no mistake."

"Then it's a start," Karin said. Then, out of nowhere, she reached out and slapped Hitsugaya in the back so hard that he nearly toppled forward onto the desk. "Damn! You've got a good memory, Tōshirō!" she hooted.

"Use your words, will you?!" Hitsugaya straightened up and rolled his shoulders back. She hit harder than she looked. "Well, it's a good thing you asked, Kurosaki."

"Karin, dude. You're in the Kurosaki household now." Karin glanced at the symbol. "I have no idea who would know what this is, but I suppose I can ask around. Can't hurt anybody."

"You do that. Now get out, I want to nap."

-.-.-.-.-

"PULL!" Heita hollered, by far the loudest voice among the throngs of people cheering and shouting all around them. " _Ya!_ "

" _Sho!_ " the rest of the class yelled in unison, pulling together.

" _Ya!_ "

" _Sho!_ "

 _I'm in hell_ , Hitsugaya thought, gritting his teeth and pulling. _I'm in hell, I'm in hell, I'm in hell_.

The Sports Day Festival had officially arrived. Hitsugaya hadn't really had much interest in the days leading up to it, but the moment he arrived at school this morning he realized just how greatly he had underestimated the importance of this day. Parents and friends alike were in attendance, all of them crowding the track field with their picnic blankets, some of them hauling massive cameras and taking endless photos, some of them holding up handmade signs with their child's name on it. Tons of canopies and umbrellas had been set up to protect the spectators from the shade, and the biggest canopy belonged to the AV club, who were acting as announcers for the entire event. The amount of excitement buzzing through the air felt surreal.

"MORE!" Heita yelled, who was now using his highest pitch to scream and was holding the rope just in front of Hitsugaya. "WE'RE ALMOST THERE! _Ya!_ "

" _Sho!_ "

The other class was wearing down. It only took a few more well-timed pulls, and then the whistle blew; the class president's feet had skidded over the line to their side.

Hitsugaya immediately let go and squatted where he stood, panting as the rest of the class erupted in cheers around him. A pair of hands grabbed his shoulders, nearly causing him to lose balance and face plant into the dirt.

"We won!" Karin yelled, shaking him vigorously. "Do you understand what this means? We get student discounts at the kakigori shop for the rest of the year!"

"Stop touching me! Your hands are all sweaty!"

"That was a close one," Kei said, carefully prying an overly excited Karin away from Hitsugaya. He shot Kei a grateful look. "I didn't think we'd actually get first place this year."

"No kidding," Heita croaked. "I was getting worried for a minute there."

"Oi, your voice is gone. Are you okay?"

There was some feedback noise over the loudspeakers, and then someone from the AV club announced, "We will be taking half an hour for lunch. Activities will resume after the break."

At this, all of the classes began to break apart, scattering around in order to find their friends and families. Yuzu wormed her way through her classmates and popped up next to Karin and Hitsugaya, a bright smile on her face. She had her hair in a ponytail just for the occasion, and it made her resemble her twin a little more.

"I have your lunches, by the way," she said. "Matsumoto-san's been holding on to them for us."

"Wait," Hitsugaya said, whipping his head around. " _What?_ "

"Captain!"

They all looked over at the familiar voice. Matsumoto was standing towards the back of the spectators, dressed in human clothes and waving enthusiastically with her whole arm. Urahara was standing beside her, and was waving at them as well, using his paper fan and giving them that infuriating jolly smile of his.

"Captain! Good work! You look so cool!"

"Dude," Heita stage-whispered, leaning in, "what the fuck? You know that babe? Why is that incredibly hot babe is calling you 'Captain'?"

"Excuse me," Hitsugaya growled. He hastily escaping from Karin's friends and weaved his way over, with Karin and Yuzu making up some excuse behind him.

"That was so exciting!" Matsumoto exclaimed, as soon as Hitsugaya was within hearing range. "You're so lucky, Captain! I wish I was participating in these events!"

"Can you keep it down," Hitsugaya hissed, looking around to see if anyone heard. "What the hell are you doing here, Matsumoto?"

"Yuzu told me it there was going to be a big festival today! I wasn't going to just miss the opportunity to see you compete. I know how much you hate exercise."

"Urahara-san," Karin said, catching up to Hitsugaya. "I didn't expect you to come too. What about the shop?"

"Tsukabishi-san's looking after it for me. This did sound very interesting," Urahara said pleasantly. "I hope it's not a problem."

"It is a problem," Hitsugaya said, before either Karin or Yuzu could speak. "Do you realize how suspicious this makes us look? How are we supposed to explain how we know the two of you?"

"Ehhh, lighten up, Captain," Matsumoto said, waving her hand dismissively. "You can always tell those boys that I'm your older sister or something."

"Who in the hell is going to believe that?"

"Hey," Karin said, placing a hand on Hitsugaya's shoulder, which was now considerably less sweaty. "Don't worry about it too much. I'll be sure to tell the guys something. Besides, I didn't think there was any harm in them coming, either."

"You knew?" Hitsugaya said, instantly feeling betrayed.

"Hey, I wasn't just going to tell your lieutenant what to do."

"Plus I made you rice balls!" Matsumoto said triumphantly. "Can you believe that? Have I ever cooked anything for you with my own two hands in my entire life? You should be ecstatic, Captain."

"Okay, _fine_ , just don't say 'Captain' so loudly. There's too many people here to hear it."

"Actually, Captain Hitsugaya," Urahara said. "All the excitement aside, there's something that I think you might like to hear."

There was no need to elaborate. Hitsugaya sobered up at once. "We should step a little further away from the processions, then."

"Should we…?" Karin asked, trailing off. Yuzu said nothing, looking between Urahara and Hitsugaya expectantly.

"No," Hitsugaya said. "The less attention we draw to Urahara the better. You two should go back to the others. They're probably starting to wonder what's going on. I'll…I'll fill you in later."

"Alright," Karin said, placated.

Truthfully, Hitsugaya didn't really know why he had added on that last part. He wasn't obligated to tell her or Yuzu anything, but for some reason, it didn't seem right to keep them in the dark. Even if they weren't worth much with a sword right now.

Urahara and Hitsugaya moved off the school grounds, using what few surrounding trees there were to give them some cover. "I went over this morning to see how Captain Kurotsuchi and his division were doing," Urahara said. "They haven't decided on anything definitive yet, but they are working on a way to close them up."

"I should hope so. That's the whole reason I asked for them."

"You know," Urahara said, "we were talking, the Captain and I. We have a theory as to how these Garganta are staying open, but there's no way for us to confirm or deny it at the moment."

"Which is?"

"Well, up until this point I assumed that Kidō was being used to keep them propped open. I was focused on trying to think of a spell, or a combination of spells, that could potentially create such an effect. Then I realized that I had been thinking too narrowly. Captain," Urahara said, "I want your honest opinion. But I think there's a much higher chance that this was the cause of a Zanpakutō."

Hitsugaya's eyebrows flew up. "A Zanpakutō? Are you serious?"

"It's far-fetched, but it hypothetically speaking it's possible. A Zanpakutō does not always leave a personal mark or trail of reiatsu. It differs from sword to sword. For instance, if you were to use Hyōrinmaru to make it snow this instant, I would have no trouble noticing that the snowfall was specifically _your_ Zanpakutō's doing. Its reiatsu would be clinging to every snowflake. But if the Zanpakutō is not inclined to any particular Kidō or element…"

"Then there's nothing left behind to examine," Hitsugaya said. "And you're saying that's why we haven't been able to sense anything. Because it was a Zanpakutō that did this, not the wielder itself."

"Precisely. Again, just speculation at this point, and we can't think of a way to challenge that hypothesis. But I thought it important to keep in mind."

"I suppose I'll have to," Hitsugaya said grimly. "Whoever's doing this, he's got too much on us. We know nothing about who he is, but he seemed to know that I was in town and took the pains to make sure I didn't stand in his way. If you find anything else you let me know immediately."

"Of course," Urahara said. "Well, that's all I really came here for, so I'll do you the favor of making myself scarce. I suppose you'll want me to take the lieutenant with me?"

"Please," Hitsugaya said with a wince. "I really don't think I can handle her in the middle of all this."

"That's certainly fair. Well, have fun with the rest of your festivities, Captain. I hope you enjoy the rice balls. Matsumoto-san!" Urahara called, taking the lead and walking out of the brush. "I need your assistance with something!"

 _Thank heavens_ , Hitsugaya internally groaned. Too much energy had already been sapped from him because of these stupid sports activities. He just wanted this day to be over with as soon as possible.

When he regrouped with the others, the Kurosaki twins and Karin's friends were already almost finished eating. "Here," Karin said, handing him two separate bento boxes as he took a seat on the picnic blanket. "The one on the top is from Matsumoto."

"Everything okay?" Eiji asked, looking up from his food.

"Yeah, everything's fine. My, uh…"

"Sister," Karin cut in quickly.

 _Seven hells, she actually used that excuse_. "Yeah, my sister and her boyfriend are in town to visit."

"You didn't look so happy to see her," Eiji said.

"Yeah, well, I usually see her all the time, so I've had more than enough of her."

"No offense, man, but your sister is super hot," Heita said dreamily. "I haven't seen anyone that glorious since I met Ichigo's girlfriend that one time at Kurosaki's place."

"Won't be girlfriend for much longer," Karin said, trying to gather the loose grains of her rice together. "Pretty sure Ichi-nii's thinking of proposing."

"Karin-chan!" Yuzu looked scandalized. "That was supposed to be a secret!"

"Oh. Whoops."

"Well, it doesn't matter much. I'm pretty sure Inoue-san doesn't remember we exist anyway," Kazuya said.

"Hey! Don't group me in with you! I'd like to think a hot girl remembers when she meets me—WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?"

"Don't worry, Heita-kun," Yuzu said, as the others desperately tried to hold in their snickers. "I'm sure there's some girl out there who would like you."

"…Why does that sound so sad and pathetic when you say it?"

"In any case," Kei said, before things could escalate, "I guess congratulations are in order. Tell your older brother for us when the time comes."

"Thanks, I will."

"All participants for the 100m race, please approach the starting line," the speakers overhead called out.

"Well, that's me," Heita boasted, springing up.

Hitsugaya tried not to look surprised. "You're racing?"

"Heita is the best sprinter in our class," Kazuya explained. "He's not good at long distances, but he makes a pretty impressive start."

"That's right. All burst and no flame, baby," Heita said, cracking his neck from side to side. "Time to bring home the gold."

"Come on, Toujoin! Let's go!" the rest of Class 1-B started shouting, crowding together again and whooping as Heita jogged towards the track, arms raised victoriously towards the sky.

Karin reached out and bumped Hitsugaya's elbow with hers. "Hey," she said. "So we were thinking—"

"No."

"You didn't even let me finish!"

"You want me to run," Hitsugaya said. "I can see it all over your face."

"Hey, believe me, usually I run all of these," Karin said, prompting an incredulous stare from Hitsugaya. "But I don't want to force my ankle, and you're like the strongest link now. And Sports Day only comes once a year, so it's really really important. Please?"

He really wanted to say _forget it_ , but Karin looked so genuinely earnest that he ended up stopping short. She had bugged him for stuff before, but never like this, with an uncharacteristic puppy-quality to her dark grey eyes.

"Which one?" he sighed.

Karin brightened, a huge smile spreading across her face. "The 400 metre."

"Fine. You owe me one, Kurosaki."

"I told you, it's Karin."

"Shit," Kei said suddenly, and Hitsugaya looked up just in time to see one of the other first-year classes bursting into a thunder of cheers. Heita was bent over a few feet past the finish line, holding himself up with both hands on his knees and breathing heavily.

"No way," Karin said. "Heita lost?"

Hitsugaya looked at her. "You…sound surprised."

"It's because we weren't poking fun at him earlier," Yuzu said, looking concerned. "Heita-kun really is the class' best sprinter."

"What the fuck?" Heita panted, as he moved back towards the group. "Who was that dude? I've never seen him before in my life."

"I think that's Haruki Nomura," Kazuya said, watching as the other class was patting their winning team member on the back. "I remember him from the opening ceremony. He moved here from Sapporo over the winter."

"So he didn't go to our middle school, then. Christ, I wasn't expecting that."

The other class parted a little bit, and Hitsugaya was able to get a good look at him for the first time. The kid stood out tremendously from the rest of his classmates. He had smooth, brown skin, and very dark brown hair, which sat in a mop of messy waves that curled around his ears. He had a button nose, and when he smiled, a dimple formed in his left cheek.

"All participants for the 200m race, please approach the starting line."

"No way," Heita said, eyes bugging out, as Haruki broke off from his classmates and approached the track. "He's racing _again?_ "

Karin's eyes sparkled, her competitive streak immediately flaring up. "Oh, I am so ready for this," she said, setting her bento box aside. "Thanks for the food, Yuzu. I'm heading out."

"Wait! I'm going to come watch," Yuzu said, scrambling up after her.

"Ditto on that. I need to see this," Kazuya said, and soon most of them were standing up, curious and eager. Only Hitsugaya and Eiji were left on the picnic blanket. It was the first time Hitsugaya had ever been alone with any of Karin's friends; usually the four of them were connected at the hip.

"Not going to watch?" Eiji asked, in a friendly manner.

"I'm sure the result will still be the same when they come back to tell us later."

Eiji laughed. "I guess that's true."

"What about you?"

"Trying to conserve my energy. The next event after the dashes is the relay race. I'm the third leg." Eiji rested his arms on his knees. "She's hard to say no to, isn't she?"

Hitsugaya looked over. "Who?"

"Karin. You caved pretty fast just now."

"I wouldn't have heard the end of it if I didn't," Hitsugaya said, but for some reason the implication made his stomach flutter.

"She's persistent, but it can be one of her better qualities." Eiji looked towards the track, where Karin was just visible between the other spectators, taking her starting position. He smiled faintly. "I was surprised when the two of you walked in together the other day."

"We didn't—"

"I know. But she went and found you first, didn't she? After coming back from her trip."

"I…I guess you could put it that way."

"To be honest, I didn't think you guys had only hung out a few times. I've always had the impression that you knew each other well. Even in elementary school, all those years ago…when you were in town…she was always looking for you."

Hitsugaya glanced at him, not entirely sure what he was trying to say yet. Eiji's smile widened a bit, but his eyes didn't match at all.

"I'm kind of jealous," he admitted.

Hitsugaya fell silent. He looked out into the crowds, thinking carefully.

"I know it probably looks strange," he said, lowering his voice. "But you've got the wrong idea. There's nothing going on between me and Kurosaki. And even if you thought that, you shouldn't let me stop you from telling her what you want to say."

Eiji stiffened, almost imperceptibly. "It's not that easy," he said. Hitsugaya could see that the admission pained him. "She doesn't…"

"You don't know that for certain. I'm not saying that you have to. But, from what I can tell, Kurosaki is a very blunt person. I think she would appreciate it best if you spoke to her straightforwardly."

Eiji didn't say anything to this, so Hitsugaya didn't say anything either. He let Eiji gather his thoughts, and turned his attention back towards the racetrack, just as the crowd parted ahead of them. Karin emerged from between the spectators, breathing heavily, and by the bewildered looks of the others following her, Hitsugaya could guess what happened.

"I can't believe this," Heita was saying. "I'm actually shocked right now. It's like he's some kind of fucking machine."

"Too bad he wasn't in our class, then," Karin wheezed, collapsing quickly onto the blanket next to Hitsugaya.

"Too bad?! Dude, aren't you upset? You've won the 200m since like, the beginning of time."

"Upset? Not really. Kind of disappointed, yeah, but I'm pretty sure I'm not the fastest runner in the world, so it was bound to happen someday." Karin paused. "We should definitely convince him to join the soccer club."

"Of course you would want him on the team."

"Hey, I didn't see you winning either, asshole."

"All participants for the 400m race, please approach the starting line," the AV club announced.

"That's you," Karin said, clapping Hitsugaya's shoulder. "Good luck. Pretty sure that Haruki kid is running for this one too."

"What?" Heita yelled. "Are you fucking serious? I'm gonna screa—"

"Don't," Hitsugaya said quickly, standing up. "He's run two races already, so I doubt he'll have much energy left. I'll be back."

"Good luck, Hitsugaya-kun!" Yuzu said, giving him two thumbs up.

"You're doing us a great sacrifice," Kei said. Kazuya nodded solemnly in agreement; behind him, the rest of their class was looking at Haruki with real fear on their faces. "I hope you win."

This had to be one of the worst decisions he's made in a decade.

Hitsugaya walked towards the starting line, reluctantly accepting all of the pats and encouragements from his classmates as he walked past. Sure enough, Haruki Nomura was back at the starting line, stretching his arms from side to side. He had one of those smiles that made his eyes turn into crescent moons, and when he saw Hitsugaya approaching, he gave him a big one.

"Hello," Haruki said. His voice was a smooth, jovial tenor, and not at all winded from his previous runs. "My name is Nomura. I hope we both do well in the race today."

"Same to you," Hitsugaya said, thinking that was the end of it.

"You're Hitsugaya-kun, right?"

Hitsugaya looked at him.

"I've seen you around school before," Haruki said, still smiling brightly. "Everyone was saying there was a new transfer student with white hair, and white hair is pretty hard to miss, isn't it? So I kept an eye out, and there you were."

Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes.

"Runners, take your positions!"

They both bent over onto one knee, taking neighbouring lanes from each other.

"I just raced against your classmate, Kurosaki-san," Haruki said. He wasn't speaking as loudly now, but it was loud enough for Hitsugaya to hear. "She's an interesting girl, isn't she? She's very pretty. Imagine my surprise when my classmates said she didn't have a boyfriend! But then, I also heard that she hangs out with you a lot. I hope you don't mind me saying all this, Hitsugaya-kun. I guess you could say I'm an admirer of hers. I really hope we can all get to know each other better soon."

"On your marks!"

Hitsugaya raised his hips up from his position, eyes on the track ahead of him.

The starter fired her blank.

Hitsugaya never ran. He hadn't done any running since his days at the academy, and he had found little reason to do much running since. But it was hard for a person to just forget how to run. He pushed off from the starting line fluidly, and began to sprint down the track, remembering his proper form as he ran. Measured his breath. In, out. One, two.

Haruki was right next to him.

"Come on, Tōshirō!" Heita yelled, standing at the front of the crowd, with the others at his shoulders and shouting along with him. When Hitsugaya ran past them, they were standing just five feet away from the track, so he heard them loud and clear. "You've got this, dude! Go go go!"

Haruki was still on his heels, not slowing down, nor did he look at all tired, despite having run two races already. For the first time, though, his smile was gone, now focused on taking in enough oxygen to keep him going. Hitsugaya saw now that his eyes were the color of hard amber, framed with long, thick eyelashes.

Within seconds, they reached the final bend. Hitsugaya steeled himself and ran as hard as he could, hard enough that he could no longer tell where exactly Haruki was beside him. He didn't dare to use his peripheral vision to look, either. He kept his eyes glued to the finish line, and pushed harder.

 _Come on_ , he thought. _Come on_.

The sash broke open over his waist.

Hitsugaya skidded to a stop and doubled over, gasping for breath. In the background he could hear the sound of Heita's tell-tale scream, and it sounded excited, so he figured he definitely won. For a moment there he'd thought he and Haruki were going to tie.

He sensed someone walking over to him. "That was a good match, Hitsugaya-kun," Haruki said, smiling again. He proffered his hand. "Congratulations on the win."

Hitsugaya straightened up, composing himself. He gave Haruki a long, hard look, chest still heaving slightly as he tried to catch his breath.

"Don't ever go near Kurosaki again," he said. "Do you understand me?"

Haruki's smile didn't waver. "My, my," he said. "You're pretty interesting yourself, Hitsugaya-kun."

Hitsugaya didn't answer. He turned his back, and made his way over to where Karin's friends were standing.

"You did it, Hitsugaya-kun!" Yuzu called, clapping. "That was a really good match!"

"She's right. It was really impressive," Kazuya said, with Heita whooping behind him. "Especially considering you raced someone as fast as Nomura-san—"

"Where's you sister?" Hitsugaya said, speaking to Yuzu.

"Karin-chan? I think she went to refill her water bottle at the washing station. Is everything okay?"

"I'll be right back," Hitsugaya said. He ignored the calls of his name behind him, and quickly pushed through the throngs of people, moving to circle around the main building.

Karin wasn't at the fountains, but she was close to them. Hitsugaya found her at one of the vending machines, a can of iced coffee sitting in the compartment at the bottom. She was staring intensely at her phone, eyebrows scrunched together tightly.

"Kurosaki," he said, walking towards her briskly.

Karin looked up with a start, but when she saw it was him, her eyes widened, as if just remembering something important. "Tōshirō."

"I need to talk to you about something," Hitsugaya said, waiting until he was standing in front of her before he elaborated. "That Nomura kid—"

"Wait, wait, I need to show you something!" Karin thrust her phone in his face. "Look at this!"

For a moment it was hard to see anything, because she was holding the phone about an inch away from his nose. Hitsugaya had to grab her wrist and move her hand farther away, but then his eyes focused on the phone, and he forgot about nagging her instantly.

"That's it!" he nearly yelled. "That's the symbol—how did you—?"

"Well, while you were racing I was talking to Eiji, and I remembered what you said about friends just wanting to help each other and stuff, so I showed him your drawing and asked if he knew what it was, and he said he had no idea but I could probably find it if I Googled it, which was stupid of me not to think of before—"

"You what?"

"Uh—I searched 'three white arrows symbol' online and it gave me a bunch of results that were related to what I asked it. Anyways, so I kept looking for a bit and I finally found it."

"So what does it mean?"

"It's the brand logo for an old independent publishing company. The company doesn't exist anymore, but apparently the warehouse is still standing near the old Karakura train station."

If Hitsugaya had had more time, he might have lingered on the fact that Karin and Eiji had spoken after Hitsugaya left, or gone into a careful spiel about Haruki and the fact that something was just not _right_ with him. But suddenly he had neither; because all he had time to say was, "We go there tomorrow," and then Eiji was turning the corner and approaching, telling them that the relay race was about to begin.

When they got back to the festivities, Haruki was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

my computer suddenly crashed while I was working on the next chapter and I lost 3k of progress I'm going to cry I'm seriously hurting right now

 **darkmist111** \- in regards to your first question Hitsugaya was just having a kind of prophetic dream lol since Karin the Cat was sleeping nearby but he saw Karin the Human instead. as for your second question though I can't say! that would be spoiling the fic hehehe you'll just have to wait and see~

 **Rinusagitora** \- girl I hope u still alive cause these exams are whooping my ass


	8. Chapter 8

**a/n:** Hey everyone, I'm sorry I was gone for so long. For a long time I was unable to load the next part onto my doc manager, for no reason that I could tell. I tried contacting FFN's help, but I never got a reply from them, so for a while I just gave up. Then I remembered this story, and just decided to try it again. As you can see, it worked, but at no small cost -_-

I'm sorry to everyone who waited for the next part and who had said such nice things about this story so far. I hope this doesn't disappoint after such an eternal wait, which I know can often be the case. Hopefully I won't have any issues uploading docs again in the future.

Thanks everyone!

* * *

This had not been part of the plan.

"Hey-ho, Captain," Jinta said, arms crossed behind his head. "Long time no see."

Hitsugaya stared at the group before him, looking from one face to the next, before settling on Karin's in disbelief. "You brought them with you?"

"Well, not on purpose," Karin said apologetically. Behind her, Yuzu gave him a cheerful little wave, and Jinta and Ururu were standing with her, the both of them still in their school uniforms. "Yuzu wormed it out of me while we were training at Urahara's, and then these two overheard us."

"Hello, Captain Hitsugaya," Ururu called.

"No way I was just gonna sit on my ass and let you two handle all the action," Jinta said. "It's high time I got some exercise."

"This isn't a joke," Hitsugaya said, already irritated. "We're not here to play around."

The five of them were standing in front of the warehouse, since there had been no metal fences to scale in order to breach the property. Hitsugaya had told Karin to meet after dark, because there would be less people to see them and because he knew Karin had all kinds of after-school commitments, from club activities to her daily training. He'd expected her to come alone. That had not happened.

"Lighten up a little, Captain. You'll live longer," Jinta said. "Speaking of, though. You're looking a little worse for wear. What happened to you?"

"None of your business," Hitsugaya muttered.

Karin looked over and stared at him for a moment, before smiling sympathetically. "Still sore from yesterday?" she asked.

"It's nothing like that." He was. He was absolutely still sore from yesterday. Except he would never, ever admit it, because when Karin had asked him why he wasn't stretching with the rest of the class before the races, Hitsugaya had brushed her off. It was taking everything in his power not to look like he was stiff.

"Come on, I'm getting antsy," Jinta said. "Let's look inside already."

"Hold on," Hitsugaya started, but Jinta was already walking towards the front doors, examining the padlock that barred them shut.

Hitsugaya glanced around quickly, just in case anyone was walking on the streets, but it was unlikely. Besides being in a somewhat remote location, the warehouse itself was already in shady disrepair. The windows were streaked grey with dirt and dust, some of them broken. Amateur graffiti covered every inch of red brick within sight. Creeping vines were already beginning to curl their tendrils up towards the roof, covering one side in their thin flat leaves. It was the kind of place that no sane person would walk past alone at night.

"You know, now that I look at this place," Karin said, examining the building as well, "maybe I should have checked beforehand if there are any meth heads squatting here."

"I have no idea what you just said."

"Padlock's busted," Jinta announced, turning back towards the group and holding up the rusty appendage with one hand.

"Guess that's lucky for us, then," Yuzu said. There was quiet concern written on her face, her eyes troubled as she looked at the windows. "Hitsugaya-kun. What exactly are we expecting to find here?"

"Hopefully nothing more than we can deal with," Hitsugaya said, as Ururu waved Jinta back to the group with a downturned palm. "Listen, all of you. This place is fairly big, so you may be tempted to split up. If you have to, don't go alone. At the very least keep one person with you. I need some of you to cover our exits. The rest will be part of the search team."

"Called it," Karin and Jinta said at the same time. They looked at each other.

"Shouldn't you be watching the exits?" Jinta said, frowning. "The way I see it, you're easily the baggage of this team."

Karin snorted. "Big talk for someone who gets his ass handed to him by a cat."

"Shut up!" Jinta snapped, flaring up at once. "I don't remember cats being such crazy psychos!"

"At least this psycho doesn't still yell 'Jinta Homerun' like some kind of five year old!" Karin yelled, and all at once she was bolting for the front doors.

"HEY! Get out of my way! You're just going to slow me down!"

"I could say the same about you!"

"Wait!" Hitsugaya shouted, but it was too late. The two of them burst through the double doors of the warehouse and disappeared inside, their screams echoing behind them.

"If someone saw that," Yuzu said, watching them with a small sigh, "we are definitely going to be arrested for trespassing."

"It'd be a wonder if that didn't grab someone's attention," Hitsugaya growled. "Well, since they've gone ahead and started without us, I'll leave it to you two to mark all our exits and keep them clear, in case of an emergency."

"What about you, Captain?" Ururu asked.

"I'll be looking around as well."

"Wait," Yuzu said. "Hitsugaya-kun, you just said we should be sticking together. That applies for you too. We can look together."

"To be honest, leaving the searching to those two worries me more than being on my own," Hitsugaya said. "Right now I'm the only Captain here, and that means I'm responsible for the rest of you, and whatever happens to you. Do as I say."

Yuzu opened her mouth to protest again, but Ururu reached out and gently took hold of Yuzu's elbow.

"It's okay, Yuzu-chan," Ururu said. "The Captain can take care of himself."

"I'm going to try and see where those two went," Hitsugaya said, using his thumb to point towards the doors. "Regroup back here in an hour."

"Okay," Yuzu and Ururu said, and left to circle the perimeter.

The interior of the warehouse was less of an improvement than its exterior. The place was mostly bare, save for some miscellaneous trash scattered around the floor—a few pieces of rusted sheet metal, some cardboard, some crumbling bricks of cement. There was graffiti on the walls here, too. The ceiling had been stripped to its bones, leaving nothing but metal rafters behind. Hitsugaya looked up and saw that there was a second floor in the back half of the warehouse, probably the main oversight for whatever operations had once taken place here. Karin and Jinta's shouts had died down, but snippets of their voices floated through the air. It was too dark to make out where they were coming from.

Hitsugaya began to walk deeper in. He looked around. There was evidence of people living here all around him. There were food wrappers and pop cans on the floor, some that he recognized from the vending machines at school. Pieces of cardboard where they'd slept lay in groups of three or four close to the walls. An old oil drum had been emptied and filled with something else; its contents smelled of ashes.

But the traces were cold. Whoever called this place their home hadn't been here for at least two weeks. And judging from the amount of effects that had been left behind, that was at least ten people who had disappeared from then till now.

Hitsugaya quietly placed one hand on the hilt of Hyorinmaru. Now that he was tall enough, his sword was no longer too big for him to hang from his hip, so that's where he had it now. He found the staircase to the second floor, and softened his footfall as he climbed up the steel steps.

The second floor was not as empty as the first. There were twenty or twenty-five large machines here, all of them looking as though they had not seen work in fifty years. Hitsugaya had to approach one and examine it through the dark to realize that they were printing machines, somewhat similar to the _gariban_ used to publish the Seireitei Communication. These ones were nearly double the size, though, huge contraptions of scrap metal that loomed over his head. They were set up in long, tight rows, making it difficult to see much of anything around him.

He realized, then, that he couldn't hear Karin and Jinta's voices anymore.

"Kurosaki," Hitsugaya tried, keeping his voice level and even. He slowly made his way between the printing machines, one hand still hanging over his sword. "Kurosaki. If you're there, say something."

Nothing. Hitsugaya decided to stop talking. He diverted most of his attention into straining his hearing, making no sound with his feet as he listened for noises. The place was full of drafts from the windows and the gaps in the rafters, but other than that, the room was stiflingly silent. The closeness and density of the machines began to grate on his nerves. He picked up his pace slightly, determined to find himself in the open again.

When he emerged from between the rows, there was a man looking at him.

He was standing on a raised walkway that lined the back wall of the warehouse, maybe fifteen feet over his head. The place was still oppressively dark, with little starlight to drift inside, and so the man was nothing more than a silhouette, clouded in shadows. But his profile was unmistakable. Hitsugaya recognized the shape of him at once, his height, the breadth of his shoulders, the stretch of his limbs. From the man's left hip, the shadow of a scabbard could be made out, like a grotesque third leg.

At once, all of Hitsugaya's senses kicked into overdrive. The first thing he did was probe the air about him, searching for anything that suggested that he was more than he'd first appeared. But there was nothing. There was no spiritual pressure emanating from his body or clinging to the air.

"Interesting," Hitsugaya said, loud enough so that the man could hear. He craned his neck up to look at him. "You're still hiding your reiatsu. A person might think you're looking to try and escape. Do you think I'll let you?"

The man said nothing. He didn't move or motion to respond in any way. Just watched him.

"I'm not the only one here," Hitsugaya said. "You'll have to fight your way out, if you think you can get away."

Still nothing. Hitsugaya focused on his senses again, trying to find something that indicated that he had walked into some sort of trap, or an ambush. Neither appeared to be a possibility. There was still no sign of the others' voices, either. They were undeniably alone.

Hitsugaya adjusted the grip on his hilt. "Why are you making the Garganta?" he asked. "Why are you keeping them open? What's the purpose of it?"

Below him, there was the sound of a brief crash down on the main floor—almost as if a piece of metal had been thrown across the room. Hitsugaya stiffened, eyes narrowing, but the man didn't so much as flinch. The air began to grow thick around them.

"Fine," Hitsugaya muttered. "Better that you don't talk. Let's get this over with."

The man disappeared.

Hitsugaya drew his sword and turned on his heel, just as something whirred through the air to bear down on his head. The sound that ensued when their blades connected was not metal striking metal, but metal striking leather. Hitsugaya realized with shock that the man had attempted to hit him with his Zanpakutō still in its sheath.

Hitsugaya pushed him off with a hard shove, going in for a lunge in the next step, but the shadow disappeared swiftly again. Another strike came down, this time from his left shoulder, but Hitsugaya leapt out of the way, hearing again the sound of a scabbard and not a blade rebounding against the cement floor.

In that moment he understood three things simultaneously. The first two was that the man was faster than him, always half a beat too close for comfort, but he was noisy, did not know how to manoeuvre without making his movement a foreseeable pattern, and this alone was why Hitsugaya could defend himself. But more importantly than this, he realized that the man did not want to fight him. He was stalling, or waiting for an opening. Hitsugaya had caught him at the wrong time.

The man tried to push him back, aiming to strike Hitsugaya in the wrist so that he would drop his sword. Hitsugaya deflected him easily, and brought his sword down in with long, broad strokes, forcing the man back instead. No matter how hard Hitsugaya struck, the man only held his defensive stance, refusing to draw his sword. Between the sounds of their clashing Hitsugaya could now hear another voice, yelling something in the distance, but it was impossible to tell what they were saying. He took a moment to hope, very hard, that none of the others would try to jump in to save the day.

His eyes had adjusted to the dark enough now that Hitsugaya began to force his opponent into a corner. The man didn't notice at first, because he kept moving backwards while he blocked, without any changes to his movement. By the time his opponent seemed to realize, it was already too late. A well-placed downward strike put the man with his back to the wall, and he stopped at once, lowering his blade and straightening up.

Hitsugaya lifted his sword, the tip pointed at the man's face. "Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyorinmaru."

Outside, what little light that had been in the sky fell dark. The sound of rain followed, and the warehouse began to leak with it, drops falling through the windows and ceiling and creating spit-fire pattering sounds against the cement.

"Let me make myself clear," Hitsugaya said, over the sounds of heavy rainfall beating against the metal rafters. "I'm not joking around here. I'm prepared to do whatever it is I need to to stop you right now. So if I were you, I would start taking this seriously."

For a long moment, the man didn't move. There was more shouting somewhere within the building, but they fell pray to the vast emptiness of the warehouse, rebounding off the walls to create a discordant echo. Then, very slowly, the man grabbed the hilt of his sword and unsheathed it, so that now his scabbard was in one hand, and his uncovered blade was in the other.

In the dark, the man's mouth moved without a sound.

What happened next would stay with Hitsugaya for a long time. Hitsugaya would remain a Captain of the Gotei 13 for many more years to come. He would live to see his own success, and his own failure tenfold. He would know war and peace in equal measures, each one always just looming behind the other. He would live long after Ichigo Kurosaki, and his heir, Kazui Kurosaki, had both lived and passed away. He would see many good friends leave the Gotei 13, and make many new ones. And centuries from now, as he calmly waited for his own passing in his old age, he would remember certain things as if they had happened yesterday; pain, sorrow, joy, tribulation.

What happened next, in this moment, was one of them.

Everything for a moment went dark. Not the dark of the night that Hitsugaya had already been standing in; a different kind of dark, black, ominous, malevolent. The printing machines and the warehouse around him seemed to dissolve briefly, as though a drop of rainwater had fallen into Hitsugaya's eyes. The air twisted, pressed in against Hitsugaya's ribs, and then expanded. Suddenly the atmosphere was so thin that Hitsugaya struggled for his next breath.

And then, all at once, he recognized the silhouette in front of him.

Hitsugaya's hands went slack. The loss of feeling that overcame his body nearly made him drop his sword. He stumbled, his back collided with one of the printing machines behind him, saving him from crumpling on legs that had gone numb. His throat felt as if it was constricting, choking the air from him, his head spinning and his hands shaking.

"No," he murmured, and heard the fear in his own voice. "No, no, no, no, no."

A familiar smile crawled across the lower half of the man's face. He was like a strange mirage before him, his features swimming and blinding in Hitsugaya's vision. The silhouette took a step away from the wall, and it seemed to grow tremendously, wicked, looming.

"This is impossible. You…you were…"

"Come, now," Sosuke Aizen said, and his voice sent an invasive chill down Hitsugaya's spine. "I let myself out once. Why on earth would I stop myself from doing it again?"

" _No_ ," Hitsugaya hissed, holding his sword up fiercely with both hands. A vicious rage was erupting inside of his body, the adrenaline making his whole body tremble with it. He was in a near panic. It had taken all of Gotei 13, and then some, to imprison Sosuke Aizen. But the Gotei 13 was not here. He was alone. He was going to die here.

"Don't move! Don't you say another word!" Hitsugaya snapped, ready to leap in a moment's notice.

"Oh, dear." Aizen's smile became so wide that his face seemed to split in half. "Look at you. So jumpy already. Did I go too far last time with that little trick on our dear Hinamori?"

"Shut up!" Hitsugaya screamed, eyes flashing. "Don't you say her name again!"

Aizen laughed, raising both arms up with his palms outstretched, and began to walk towards Hitsugaya.

"Don't come near me!" Hitsugaya bellowed, but Aizen showed no signs of stopping, maintaining the same pace. "I said _stop!_ "

He whipped his sword across his body in a horizontal cut, but the moment his blade connected with Aizen's flesh, his body suddenly burst apart into a cloud of black flies. They were all around him, flying into his eyes and his mouth, crawling into his ear canals. There was laughter like a volcano erupting shaking the air all around him, and Hitsugaya realized with horror that multiples of Aizen's shadow had him surrounded. Their mouths expanded like black holes with their cackling roars, trying to press in on him.

Hitsugaya screamed, lunging hysterically at all of them, but every time he struck one they just turned into more flies, more shadows. He could hear a chorus of voices inside of his head: cries of terror, howls of outrage, a distorted echo begging, "Stop, he doesn't know what he's doing! Stop! Stop it!" The world around him began to spin, the ground falling away beneath his feet. Something exploded against the side of Hitsugaya's head, and then shadows converged and swallowed him whole.

Hitsugaya's mind went blank.


	9. Chapter 9

**DOUBLE UPDATE SO READ CHAPTER 8 IF YOU HAVENT ALREADY**

a/n and translation notes at the end of the chapter!

* * *

When Hitsugaya awoke, it was a hazy, sluggish effort. He was aware first of his own body, utterly drained and spent of energy. His mouth felt as though it had been stuffed with cotton, making it hard to swallow, to breathe. His mind was submerged in a thick, murky fog, and he struggled for a long time to surface from it, to come back to his own head, to he open his eyes.

The ceiling above him was familiar. Hitsugaya stared at it for a good two minutes before the memory jogged itself free: he was back in Urahara's shop. He had been changed, and was lying down with too many blankets over him. Every limb of his body was sweaty. The fan was whirring quietly in the corner near his head. Outside, a tempest was raging, its gales making the walls of the room shake, rain blowing in from all sides.

"Finally awake, are ya?"

Hitsugaya couldn't help it; he flinched slightly inside of his futon. He turned, with great effort, looking to where the voice had come from.

Jinta was sitting cross-legged in a chair across the room, his phone in one hand, the other holding his chin up. "Freaked you out, didn't I?" he said. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna stare at you all night. The old man just wanted someone here for when you woke up. In case you were still 'under the influence', as he calls it."

Hitsugaya tried to swallow. His tongue felt as though it was glued to the roof of his mouth. "What happened?" he said, the words slurred slightly.

"Something, that's for sure." Jinta uncrossed his legs and sat straight in his chair. "You were…having a fit, or something. We heard fighting and felt your Zanpakutō getting riled up, so we came to find you. You had your sword out, and you were yelling and screaming at nothing. Nobody was there. We tried to call you, but it was like you couldn't see us. Like you didn't know we were there."

"Aizen—"

"Wasn't him. The old man checked in with the Commander just in case. He's still chained up and locked away down in Muken or whatever they call it. Whatever you saw, it wasn't him."

That wasn't all of it. Something else was in Jinta's expression, something like reluctance, doubt even.

"What did I do?" Hitsugaya asked.

Jinta's eyes moved, looking at something beside Hitsugaya. He turned his head to look.

Next to him, lying in another futon, was Karin. She was on her side, facing Hitsugaya, deep asleep. Her entire left shoulder, and part of her left arm, was covered in bandages. Her sleeping face showed no indication of pain, but she was pale, much paler than could be considered healthy. A thin sheen of sweat betrayed how much the effort of rest was costing her.

Hitsugaya felt his stomach shoot up to his throat.

"She's going to be fine," Jinta said, before Hitsugaya could speak. "The one on her shoulder was deep, but Tsukabishi patched her up good. Said she'll make a full recovery, if she sits still long enough. And then he beat me for ditching the shop to run off with you, so that's how you know it's not life-threatening. He'd be all quiet and stone-faced otherwise."

Hitsugaya closed his eyes, teeth clenched so hard it was a wonder he didn't break his jaw. Again, he thought. He did it again. He hurt someone he was supposed to be looking out for. It was Hinamori all over again. _Nothing's changed_ , he thought. _After all this time…it's the same. I still can't protect anyone._

 _What the hell have I been doing all these years?_

"She's got to be the dumbest person I've ever met," Jinta said, breaking through the silence. "She was awake, when we were healing her. Urahara told her we'd help her home after we were done. You know, her dad being a human doctor and all that. She refused to go. Said she wanted to be here when you woke up. I couldn't believe it. You'd think a person would want some distance from the guy who almost chopped her arm off. But then, what do I know about relationships, I guess."

Hitsugaya's stomach fluttered. "You've got it wrong," he said. "It's not like that."

"Then how come you only let her call you by your first name?"

In spite of everything, Hitsugaya could still feel his neck and ears growing hot. "That's not true. Some of her friends call me Tōshirō too."

"Yeah, but they don't know you're a captain, do they?"

"That's because we're in the world of living right now."

"So? What's that got to do with anything? Does that mean that the old man and your lieutenant can call you Tōshirō too?"

"Enough," Hitsugaya said, too weak to raise his voice, but he could feel a strange emotion ballooning in his chest and it only got worse with every breath Jinta took. "For someone who sounds so certain about someone else's love life, I don't see you getting anywhere with her sister."

Jinta turned beet red. "Fine! See if I care the next time you make goo-goo eyes at her!" he fumed, and stomped out of the room, slamming the sliding door behind him with a subdued _clack_.

It took Hitsugaya a minute to get over his embarrassment enough to look at Karin again. For all the noise he and Jinta had made, she had barely even stirred. Hitsugaya looked at her, at her bandaged wounds, and the shame clawed its way back up his body like bile. He freed one arm from his futon, and reached out, pulling her blanket back up to her shoulders.

 _I'm sorry_ , he tried to say, but when the words tried to move past his lips, his body suddenly tensed up, overcome with guilt. Hitsugaya clenched his eyes shut, and he grieved.

-.-.-.-

"Do not," Yoruichi said, holding one finger up, "let me catch your ass back here for at least another week. You're to stay in your bedroom and meditate instead, do you understand me? No physical exertion, no running around, nothing. For the next four days do not go up or down any stairs without someone accompanying you. If you need to use the bathroom at night, wake your sister and tell her to go with you, because if you collapse and everyone sleeps through it you're done for. And don't even think about—"

"Um, it's getting hot, Yoruichi-sensei," Yuzu said, because Karin looked as though she was ready to start arguing. "I should get Karin-chan home before the sun gets too high."

"Alright, fine. Go," Yoruichi said, waving them off. "I'll check in with you next week."

Karin looked at Hitsugaya. Her left hand was sitting in an arm sling, but it was for precaution's sake. She had healed well under Tsukabishi's care, just as Jinta had said. "Aren't you coming with, Tōshirō?" she asked.

For some reason, Hitsugaya couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye. It had been like this ever since she'd woken up. He would never ignore her outright, but every time he spoke he kept his eyes on the floor, or the wall. He was tempted to do the same thing now.

Instead, Hitsugaya forced himself to look at Yuzu. "Not yet. I've got a few things I need to do first," he said, speaking to both of them. "I'll catch up with you later."

Karin fell silent, while Yuzu said, "Okay, Hitsugaya-kun," and took her sister by the elbow, leading her away from the shop.

Yoruichi stood next to Hitsugaya, arms crossed as they watched the twin's backs move further and further away. "You can't ignore her forever, you know," she said.

"I'm not in the mood to be lectured right now," Hitsugaya said flatly. "What is it that you wanted to tell me?"

Yoruichi waited a little longer, making sure the twins were completely out of sight. "Karin arrived at the scene just before the perpetrator made his escape," she said. "She heard our crook release his Shikai."

"What?" Hitsugaya said, looking at Yoruichi in disbelief. "How? I didn't—"

"Didn't hear him, I know. We don't know why that is yet. But Urahara passed the info along to the Captain-Commander. They're going to go through their archives and see if they can find a match on the Zanpakutō. Should be able to give us a solid lead."

"And the Shikai? What was it?"

"'Dominate, Shirokazaru.'"

"Shirokazaru? Never heard of it before."

"You say that like you remember every Zanpakutō you come across," Yoruichi said. "Well, I guess we'll have to keep each other posted in the meantime. And no offense, but next time you need back-up, maybe don't take the kids along with you."

"I never asked them to—"

"Karin, then?"

Hitsugaya grimaced.

"I'm not trying to throw blame on you," Yoruichi said. "Even if you hadn't asked her to come, she would have followed you there anyway. That's just the kind of person she is. Just remember that, before you tell her about your big plans to raid empty warehouses."

Hitsugaya wasn't prepared to respond to this, so he changed the subject. "How's their progress?" he asked.

Somehow, Yoruichi knew just what he meant. "Normal," she said. "I can't say they vary much from my previous students. But they're weird kids, I'll tell you that." She looked out towards where the twins had disappeared, expression carefully closed. "Yuzu's an all-rounder. Doesn't excel in any particular thing, doesn't suck at anything either. But she's complicated. Every time she wins a duel or perfects a Kidō spell, I can see her heart's not in it. She's a pacifist. And yet, she's never quit, or asked to stop. Something's driving her forward. I just haven't figured it out yet."

"And…her sister?"

Yoruichi glanced at him with a brief look, but didn't push it. "Different. The ambition is there. And she's a good fighter. Don't tell her this, in case it gets to her head, but her hand-to-hand combat is uncanny. But…"

"But?"

"She's not satisfied. To be honest, she's having a lot of trouble connecting with her Zanpakutō. She's good at hiding it, but it bothers her a lot. I think she feels overwhelmed by her Zanpakutō's own abilities. You remember that crazy storm from when Jinta and Ururu brought you guys in?"

Hitsugaya looked at her, stunned. "That was her?"

"She was in pain," Yoruichi said. "And she was worried about you. Her Zanpakutō felt it, too. Take my word for it, kiddo. She'll be a force to be reckoned with someday. But right now, something's troubling her. I'm worried it will only drive her further away from her Zanpakutō instead of bringing them together."

"Don't call me kiddo." This was too much to take in at once. Hitsugaya could hardly process any of it. "The Commander wants updates on their progress."

"Yes, yes," Yoruichi said. "Don't worry. I'm not grooming them for a secret attack on Seireitei. I've got no reason to lie to you."

 _Says you_ , Hitsugaya thought. "If that's all, then I'll take my leave. Give Tsukabishi my thanks."

"Sure. Look after those two, Captain. I'm counting on you."

Hitsugaya didn't respond to this. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away.

-.-.-.-

"She's got the flu," Yuzu said, curled up on the couch with the phone to one ear as Hitsugaya entered the house. "Yeah. Yeah, I stayed home to take care of her. What? Oh—yeah, I know. I just prefer to be here is all. Do you think you could send me today's homework? Yeah. Thanks, Airi-chan."

Hitsugaya kept walking, shuffling his feet as he climbed the stairs to the second floor.

The twins' bedroom door was open. Karin was sitting her bed with her back against the headboard, texting someone on her phone, but she looked up when Hitsugaya walked past her room.

"Tōshirō!"

Hitsugaya turned around. Karin scrambled up from her bed and approached until she was standing in the doorway, her undamaged hand holding onto the knob.

"Hey," Karin said. "I was just wondering if you were okay. You've been kind of quiet lately."

Hitsugaya looked at her hand, and saw that she was gripping the doorknob tightly, her knuckles turning white. "You should be resting," he said.

"I know. I just…I figured with what happened—"

"I'm going to be meditating for the next few days," Hitsugaya said, gaze still on her hand. "So I need to be left alone. Don't bother me at all."

"What? What about school?"

"I'll still be there. Just don't come bothering me about useless stuff, alright? Don't ask me to play games or join your soccer team, or any of that. Just leave me alone."

"Tōshirō," Karin tried, but Hitsugaya put a stop to their conversation there and went into his room, closing the door definitively behind him. He listened carefully, and after a few moments, he heard Karin moving back into her room.

Hitsugaya climbed into bed, turning so that he faced the wall. Physically speaking, there was nothing wrong with him. Besides the fact that Jinta had punched him over the side of his head to knock him out, he hadn't sustained any injuries in the warehouse, and he'd had plenty of time to rest. But he felt sick. A dull ache had formed in his chest since a few days ago, and his stomach felt like it was filled with rocks, so he'd lost some of his appetite.

 _Even if you hadn't asked her to come, she would have followed you there anyway. That's just the kind of person she is._

Hitsugaya closed his eyes. _I should never have told her_ , he thought. _I should have just kept my mouth shut. What the hell have I been training for? What was the point of all this, if I'm still the same as I was four years ago?_

He clenched his fists.

 _I really…can't do anything_.

-.-.-.-

"Hey," Kei said, looking at Hitsugaya through his safety goggles. "What happened?"

"What do you mean, what happened? I thought we were supposed to put water in it?"

"Not that. I mean what happened with Kurosaki."

Without meaning to, Hitsugaya looked over at Karin. She was at another lab table across the room, bent over and writing in her notebook while talking to Eiji. Right now they were doing "chemistry" for their science class, and for some reason, that required everyone to wear plastic goggles, rubber gloves, and white robe-like things the teacher called "lab coats." This whole class was entirely lost on Hitsugaya, but when he heard that they put this stuff on for safety precautions, he bore it all like his life depended on it. His teacher could make things explode, and that unnerved him.

"You've been avoiding her eye all day," Kei said, when Hitsugaya didn't say anything. "She keeps looking at you when she talks to us, too. Did you guys fight?"

"No," Hitsugaya said, watching as Kei poured a different liquid into the glass tube and stirred it into the sugar. "We didn't fight."

"I don't mean physically, by the way. I know that's the only kind that Heita and Kurosaki ever get into, but that doesn't apply to all of us."

"We didn't fight," Hitsugaya repeated. He glanced at Karin again. "It's nothing important."

Kei noticed. "This isn't about Eiji, is it?"

"What?" Hitsugaya looked at Kei, taken aback.

"Don't tell Heita." Kei put down the glass stir-stick, watching as the sugar turned black inside of its tube. "He's the only one who hasn't figured it out. Well, him and Kurosaki, anyway."

"I don't understand what you're—"

"Eiji's in love with her."

Hitsugaya fell silent.

"You knew, right? Is that what this is about?"

"No," Hitsugaya said quickly. "Furukawa already talked to me about it. I told him that there was nothing going on with—what the hell is that?" he said shrilly, jumping back as the black gunk suddenly began to steam and wriggle up out of the tube, like some kind of sentient worm from hell.

"Pure carbon," Kei said, pulling their worksheets closer and scribbling something on them. "Is this about her hand, then?"

Hitsugaya flinched, and dropped the rest of the sugar all over the floor. " _Shit_."

"Broom, Hitsugaya," the teacher said, pointing to the corner of the room without looking up from his computer.

"It's fine," Kei said, and went to retrieve it himself. Hitsugaya crouched down, trying to scoop up what he could with his palms and throw it into the trash. Kei returned with the broom and dustpan, and began to sweep the loose grains together.

"I won't ask for details," Kei said. "She said she fell off her bike, so I guess I'll have to leave it at that. But, judging from the look on your face, you seem to have different opinions about what happened. Maybe you should talk to her."

Hitsugaya sat on his heels, uselessly holding the dustpan against the floor as Kei swept the sugar into it. "Yeah," he said noncommittally.

Kei didn't push him after that. He seemed to have said what he needed to, because when he spoke again, it was to say, "Here's the equation you need to write down," and Hitsugaya had to hand it to him for knowing how to take a hint better than most centuries-old Shinigami he knew.

-.-.-.-

His phone started ringing next to his pillow. Hitsugaya threw his wet towel aside and sat down on the bed, before picking up his phone. "Yeah."

"Captain. It's Matsumoto."

"Matsumoto. How are things looking?"

"Quiet, for now," Matsumoto said. "I'm just working my way around now. They've got men from the 12th division guarding every opening. So keeping them under control hasn't been a problem."

"Surprising. I didn't think Kurotsuchi's men were good for anything beside research."

"You and me both." There was a moment of silence from the other end. "Are you alright, Captain?"

Hitsugaya lay down, flopping onto the pillows and staring up at the ceiling. "Yeah, I'm fine. Hanakari packs a punch, but it's nothing I can't handle."

"Oh. Right. But…I mean, how's Karin?"

Hitsugaya paused. "She's fine," he said. "She's healing well. She shouldn't have any problems with her arm in the future."

"Good," Matsumoto said. "That's good." Then, "Captain…if you need anything…"

"Yeah," Hitsugaya closed his eyes. "I know."

"Okay. I'll be here if something comes up. Then, I'll be off."

"Yeah. Thanks."

The line went dead. Hitsugaya threw his phone aside somewhere on the mattress, deep in thought.

"I'm turning in for the night," he heard Karin say from somewhere down the hall, her voice muffled through his door.

Hitsugaya turned over and put the pillow over his head.

-.-.-.-

At night, he slept restlessly. When he closed his eyes, he saw shadows with wide, gaping mouths, circling around his bed, mocking him. When he slept, he dreamed that he was swimming out into the ocean, moving further and further away from the beach. Every time he thought about turning back, seagulls would circle over his head, crying, "Chicken, chicken," so he swam until he couldn't move anymore, and sank to the bottom.

He woke up in a sweat, even though the room was cool.

-.-.-.-

"We got a name."

"What?" Hitsugaya blurted, shooting upright in his bed, his hair a wild mess atop of his head. "You heard back from them?"

"When you finish today, bring the girls here with you," Urahara said. "I'll be giving everybody a full rundown there."

"Understood. Did you find any leads in the warehouse?"

"We're not sure yet. There's a few details we picked up, but it's nothing conclusive. I'd like to hear what everyone else thinks, in any case."

"Don't let the others do anything without me."

"I hear you. See you later, Captain."

Hitsugaya hung up, but just as he was about to get up, there was a knock on his door.

"Hey," Karin said, voice quiet. "Sorry, I know you said not to bother you. Yuzu wanted to let you know breakfast was ready, so…"

"Wait," Hitsugaya called, pushing his blankets off and throwing his feet over the edge of the bed. "You can come in."

The door opened cautiously. Karin hesitated at the doorframe, already dressed in her school uniform. The weather was heating up fast outside; she'd already done away with her blazer. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

For a moment, Hitsugaya thought about just doing away with it all. The awkwardness, the avoidance. It would've taken close to nothing to go back to the way things were, to have Karin as an ally again. She would probably take up arms with him in a heartbeat, and somehow it made him feel so much worse.

Hitsugaya bit his tongue. "Urahara says he's got something," he said finally. "We're to meet him at his shop later this afternoon."

"Oh," Karin said. "Alright then. I'll…see you there, I guess."

"Yeah," Hitsugaya said, looking at his feet, waiting until Karin disappeared from the doorway. He ran one hand over his face.

Having subordinates, he decided, was a lot easier than having friends.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

to anyone who cares about learning more of our ~mystery man's~ powers:

Shikai - _assuru_ (圧する): to pressure, dominate, overwelm

 _Shirokazaru_ (白化猿): albino monkey, or literally "whitening" monkey

I decided to upload this chapter immediately after the last one to make up for the fact that I've been gone for 84 years TT I'm sorry I suck


	10. Chapter 10

a/n at the end of the chapter!

* * *

The shop hadn't felt this crowded in a long time. Hitsugaya supposed he shouldn't complain. The only times it was this crowded was during emergency meetings, and this could probably be considered one.

He, Matsumoto, Urahara, and Yoruichi were the only four who were able to sit around Urahara's small coffee table. Tsukabishi was kneeling just behind Urahara, like a beefed-up shadow; Jinta and Ururu were both leaning against the far wall, keeping an eye on the front of the shop in case someone came in. Karin and Yuzu were seated near Yoruichi, both of them looking antsy and nervous.

"Right, I guess I'll begin," Urahara said, scratching the back of his neck. He put down the handful of papers he had in front of him. "First things first, the Captain-Commander got back to me with their findings. Karin's hearing is good and sharp, thankfully. They were able to give us a name and a backstory.

"Our mysterious friend from the warehouse is called Atsuya Iwasaki. His place of residence is listed as north Rukongai, but beyond that, there's very little information here surrounding his childhood. Our fault alone, unfortunately. He had a host family, once, but the reports here say that they disappeared suddenly under mysterious circumstances, with Iwasaki the sole survivor."

"Foul play?" Matsumoto asked.

"The Gotei suspected it. Nothing came of it, though." Urahara glanced at the report. "After his family's disappearance, he enlisted himself in the Shinigami Academy, and eventually graduated into the 5th Division some sixty or so years ago—back when Aizen was still in command of the division. But it says here he was only there for 13 years. After that, he suddenly submitted a letter of resignation, which cited 'irreconcilable personal reasons'. From there, he left Soul Society entirely and defected to the world of living, where he's been living anonymously, up until now.

"His Zanpakutō's name, as we have already discovered, is Shirokazaru. Its ability is called 'Confusion.' It can assault and twist its opponent's minds, spawning delusions and provoking uncontrolled action—not unlike a certain someone else we know, I'd say. The condition of its ability also relies on the enemy witnessing its Shikai release. There's no record of a Bankai release here, but it's been some time since Soul Society last had eyes on him, so I would advise everyone here to practise extreme caution."

"Well," Matsumoto said grimly, "there isn't an ounce of good news in that, if you ask me."

"What do you mean? We know who this guy is now, don't we?" Jinta said. "All we gotta do is chase him down. There's more than enough of us for the job."

"You're missing the bigger issue here," Yoruichi said. "Use your brains. Urahara just told us what Iwasaki's Zanpakutō can do. So what does that say about our Garganta problem?"

There was a beat of silence. "Hold on," Karin blurted. "You're saying—"

"Iwasaki is merely an accomplice," Hitsugaya said. "Possibly one of many. But he's not the one who's been making the Gargantas. Someone else is."

"Indeed," Urahara said. "A surprising development to say the least. But Matsumoto-san is right. So far, all this tells us is that we've got more trouble than we initially thought. Iwasaki's whereabouts are unknown, and we don't have the slightest inkling who his partner might be."

"So what do we do?" Yuzu asked, voicing everyone's thoughts.

Hitsugaya sighed. "Here's what, for starters. Have the entire 5th division questioned. Especially if there are any colleagues of Iwasaki's that are still working there. I want to know about any relationships he may have had, including with Sosuke Aizen. If there's anything to suggest a connection deeper than captain and subordinate, we need to be the first to know. Secondly, if he's been living here on Earth for as long as you say, then we need to try and retrace his steps. Find out what he's been doing here all these years, and for heaven's sake make sure he doesn't notice you doing it."

"What about us, though?" Jinta demanded.

Hitsugaya didn't have to ask to know that "us" included Ururu and the twins, but he isolated his sharp gaze onto Jinta all the same. "You," he said, "will quit meddling, unless I give you explicit instructions otherwise."

"Are you kidding me? How is that fair? Especially considering that you—"

Ururu slapped a hand over Jinta's mouth, so quickly that even Jinta looked taken aback, but it was already too late. Hitsugaya went pale, not daring to look towards his right, where the twins were sitting. The air became thick with awkward tension.

"Girls," Yoruichi said calmly, "go home now. I think that's all Urahara and Captain Hitsugaya have to say."

Yuzu leapt up as if the devil had bitten her, her posture looking crippled with second-hand embarrassment. "Come on, Karin-chan."

Hitsugaya kept his eyes glued to the table, listening as the screen door slid open and then shut behind them. Everything about the expressions of those who remained suggested that Jinta would be collectively strangled once the meeting was over.

Urahara sighed. "I'll be sure to relay your instructions to the Gotei 13, Captain. I don't know very much about tracking someone's footsteps in the human world, but I'll do what I can. Is there anything else I can do for you before you go?"

"Yes," Hitsugaya said quietly. "Forgive me. I don't mean to take up space..."

Urahara understood at once. "Take as much time as you need," he said. "You're always welcome here, Captain. I have no plans to kick you out anytime soon."

"Thank you," Hitsugaya said, and pretended not to notice when Tsukabishi grabbed Jinta by the collar of his t-shirt and menacingly dragged him out of the room.

-.-.-.-

Hitsugaya had always been one to work in silence. Studying in groups never worked out for him, because all the talking and fidgeting made it hard for him to focus. Music, he recently discovered, did not bode well with him either; he found that out the first time he tried to study with Karin's friends and Heita started blasting UVERworld over his speakers.

So it was easy for him to hear a door opening down the hall, and the sound of footsteps making their way towards the stairs. At first he thought nothing of it, but then he remembered that Yuzu was at calligraphy club today, so she wasn't home. Hitsugaya put his pen down, quickly moving across the bedroom and opening the door.

Karin was at the top of the staircase, her free hand on the railing and one foot already on the steps. She looked up, and her mouth made a surprised "o" shape. "Tōshirō," she said.

Hitsugaya walked over, hands in his pockets. "You're supposed to have someone with you when you're on the stairs," he said stiffly.

"It's fine," Karin said. "I've pretty much healed now."

Still, Hitsugaya followed her down anyway, watching her for any signs of swaying or stumbling. From behind he noticed that the collar of her plaid shirt was sticking up at the back. He thought briefly about fixing it, then immediately banished the idea from his mind.

When they reached the bottom, Karin moved towards the kitchen, saying, "You can go. I'll be alright now."

"You have to go back up, don't you?" Hitsugaya asked.

Karin stopped. For a moment, she just stood there, but then she turned to look at him, her eyes growing hard.

"Don't do that," she said. "That's not how this shit works. You don't get to pick and choose when to talk to me after telling me to bug off."

"I," Hitsugaya started, and then realized he had no way to deny this. He closed his mouth, looking down at his feet. "Sorry," he said lamely.

Karin exhaled sharply through her nose, then resumed on her way to the kitchen. She went into the fridge, and started pulling out eggs and scallions.

"You want some of this?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder.

Hitsugaya's knee-jerk reaction was to say _no_ , but then he stopped himself. "Alright," he said.

Karin boiled instant ramen for them both, while Hitsugaya stood nearby, still not trusting her to be back to her normal self again. He looked around. There were pictures on the walls and on the tables, family photos that he had never bothered to properly look at before. Closest to him, a photograph depicted Masaki Kurosaki and her three children on the beach together, all of them smiling brightly. Karin looked no older than five.

"Food's ready," Karin said.

They sat across from each other at the table. Hitsugaya sneaked a glance at her. "Your collar is sticking up at the back."

"Oh," Karin said. She reached up and smoothed it down, then picked up her chopsticks, poking at her food.

"Listen," she said. "I don't…you don't have to tell me everything. I know that, okay? I don't expect you to tell me every little thing that goes on with you. I just want to…we're friends, aren't we?"

Hitsugaya poked at the poached egg sitting atop of his noodles, watched as the yolk began to run into the broth. Suddenly he wasn't hungry anymore. "You should eat," he said.

Karin bit down on her lip, looking down at the table. She was trying to hide it, but the lines of her face were tight with hurt. Hitsugaya knew that there were other ways he could have responded, but the truth was nothing felt right. _Yeah, we are friends_? What kind of friend hurt someone who trusted them?

Hitsugaya picked at his bowl until it was half-empty, then stood up. "Sit there for a minute," he said. "I'll clean up."

Karin obeyed, sitting quietly at the table as Hitsugaya did the dishes. She didn't protest as he followed her back up the stairs this time, just let him trail behind her. Hitsugaya thought that was the end of it.

But then he walked into his bedroom, and he realized something was wrong. He hadn't heard Karin's door shut, and he had the unmistakable feeling that he wasn't alone. He turned around, just as Karin closed the door behind her, trapping them both inside.

"What are you doing?" Hitsugaya asked, eyes wide.

"I'm sorry," Karin said. She looked at him, something like anger or worry in her eyes. "I know it's hard. You barely know me, you hardly ever see me. It's not easy to just spill your guts to someone like that. I mean," she smiled ruefully, "who the hell am I, demanding answers from you, right?"

"Kurosaki…"

"But…it's just me," and her face crumpled as she said it. "You talk to everyone else but me. You're only running away from me. What did I do? Why are you shutting me out?"

"You didn't do anything," Hitsugaya said. Without realizing it, he was stepping backwards, feeling cornered. "You did nothing wrong. This is something that I did. I'm the only one who's at fault here."

"Tōshirō—"

"Don't," Hitsugaya said, because Karin had reached out as if to grab his arm. "Stop. You shouldn't touch me."

Karin pulled her hand back. "I don't understand. Why shouldn't…" She blinked, realization dawning. "Wait. This is because you hit me?"

"I did more than hit you," Hitsugaya said heavily. "I could have killed you. I had no control over what I was doing. I should have had the situation under control. I should have been able to look after you, all of you, and instead all I did was injure you. So you have every right to be angry with me. It wouldn't be fair to ask you to—"

"Hey," Karin interrupted, putting both hands on his shoulders, so that they were face-to-face, making it impossible to escape. "Where do you come off deciding for me how I get to feel about my own injuries?"

Hitsugaya stared at her. "What?" he said stupidly.

"I'm not mad at you," Karin said. "I don't blame you for what happened. Do you know why? Because I know that what happened in the warehouse—that wasn't you. I know you would never hit me if you knew you were doing it. Something happened, and you saw things. It was an accident."

"But—"

"'But' nothing! Do you know what I keep hearing? 'I should have done this, I should have done that'. Bullshit. Mistakes happen, and you're a better person now than you were when you hit me, because that's how mistakes work. You learn from them. And if you asked me to go back to that warehouse with you tonight, I would do it, even if there was a chance of you hurting me again. So stop running from me. I'm not upset with you. I never was. And the sooner we start working together again to get this guy the better."

Karin dropped her hands from Hitsugaya's shoulders slowly. Hitsugaya stood there, dumbfounded, unable to say anything. For a good minute they did nothing except stare at each other, each waiting for the other to react first.

"Sorry," Karin said finally, when Hitsugaya still hadn't responded. She dropped her gaze. "Sorry. I shouldn't have come into your room without permission. I'll leave you alone now."

"Kurosaki, wait—"

Hitsugaya's cellphone began to beep in a familiar warning tone, causing them both to stop and look down at his pocket. Hitsugaya fished it out and flipped it open.

"Trouble?" Karin asked, as Hitsugaya examined the bleeping red dot on the map.

"Yeah. It's a few streets down. Looks like I'm probably the closest one."

"I'm coming too."

"Are you out of your mind?" Hitsugaya said, a little more harshly than he had intended.

"I'm not going to argue with you, so put it this way. Either you go on ahead and I make a run for it on foot to follow, which would leave you and me alone, or you take me with you. Take your pick."

Hitsugaya opened his mouth, momentarily infuriated, but then he remembered who he was talking to, and suddenly it wasn't so easy to yell at her. "Fine," Hitsugaya grit out. "But we're going to talk about this stupid idea of yours when we get back."

"Fine by me," Karin said, and, after Hitsugaya swallowed his Gikon, she placed her hands on Hitsugaya's shoulders and climbed onto his back. Despite the fact that Hitsugaya knew Karin was almost all muscle mass, she was still lighter than he had anticipated, and settled easy against him.

"You had better do exactly as I say when we get there," Hitsugaya said, "or you're going to know the real meaning of house arrest." And then he leapt out of the bedroom window.

-.-.-.-

When they got to the neighbourhood park, Hitsugaya saw that what waited for them wasn't much worth the threats he had voiced earlier. It was a single Hollow, probably some stray Plus that had gone undetected for too long. It puttered about lethargically, kicking up sand and crushing a see-saw underfoot as it did so, sniffing the air in search of another unattended soul to devour.

Hitsugaya landed on the roof of a house across the street from the park, and set Karin down. "Stay here," he said, enunciating firmly.

"Alright," Karin said. She looked like she was answering seriously, but Hitsugaya was already regretting caving to her demands. He didn't know her well enough to know what she was going to do, and that worried him.

But it was too late to change his mind about it now. Hitsugaya left her where she stood, and rushed across the street, where the Hollow had finally taken notice of them. It opened its snaggle-toothed mouth and let out a deafening roar.

Hitsugaya drew his sword. "Sit upon the frozen heavens," he said. "Hyōrinmaru."

It was overkill, releasing his shikai. He knew that well enough, but his recent streak of embarrassing slip-ups made him want to ensure there was no room for surprises. Ice crackled and extended from the tip of his blade, swirling and growing until Hyōrinmaru's head emerged, whiskers billowing out past its bared teeth.

The Hollow sensed that an attack was coming, and jumped through the air straight towards him, possibly hoping to reach him before Hitsugaya could get the chance. _Too slow,_ he thought, not for the first time. He lifted his blade over his head and brought it back down with a yell.

Hyōrinmaru's icy form shot forward, jaws gaping. It took half a second to reach the incoming Hollow. Within moments, the Hollow was constricted by Hyōrinmaru's body and completely encased with ice, its next scream quickly cut off and left to echo in the thick summer air. Hitsugaya sheathed his sword, and watched as the Hollow fell back to the ground, before shattering into a dozen frozen chunks. Then those dissolved, leaving no trace of it behind.

It had all happened swiftly enough that the sky had barely begun to cloud over with Hitsugaya's reiatsu before the sun was beating down in relentless waves on his back and shoulders again. Hitsugaya looked across the street, and found Karin still exactly where he'd left her, so he went over.

To his extreme bewilderment and annoyance, she was _sitting_. Just sitting there, elbows on her knees and chin propped up in her hands, as if it was a weekend night and she was watching a movie on the couch. She seemed unfazed by Hitsugaya's incredulous expression, standing up calmly and brushing her jeans off. "That was fast," she said.

"Yes," Hitsugaya said, feeling a headache coming on. "So are you going to explain to me now why you insisted on being a nuisance to me?"

"Maybe I thought it would be funny if some passer-by looked up and saw me flying through the air without anything carrying me."

"Kurosaki."

"Sorry. Don't be mad. I just wanted to make my point." Karin motioned over to the slightly-devastated playground. "That all worked out fine, didn't it? You defeated the Hollow, and I came out of it completely unscathed, no more than thirty feet away. Situation under control."

Hitsugaya stared at her. "You did not," he said, "insist on me carrying you all the way here just so you could win an argument."

"Yikes. Well, when you put it like that."

"Kurosaki, I can't even count the number of things invalid about your statement. First of all, a grunt-level Hollow like that is nowhere near the same thing as the people we're currently up against. Secondly—"

"Are you still mad at me?" Karin asked. Hitsugaya realized she wasn't talking about the piggy-backing thing anymore.

He sighed. "I was never mad at you."

"I was never mad at you, either."

"But I am sorry," Hitsugaya said. "I still need to say that. You were right. I saw somebody else that wasn't you that night. I would never have done it if I had known better. But at the end of the day, you still got hurt. It was my blade and your shoulder. From now on…it won't happen again. I'm going to make sure of that. So I hope you can accept my apology."

"I understand," Karin said. "And I forgive you."

"Thank you," Hitsugaya said, and, to his surprise, he could feel the tension he'd been carrying for the last week seeping out of his shoulders. It felt…good. Cathartic, even. He realized then that he couldn't remember the last time he had actually said the words "I'm sorry" to someone.

"Let's go back home," Karin said, smiling contentedly. "I'm getting hot."

"Me too," Hitsugaya quickly agreed, embarrassed to be at the receiving end of that smile. He quickly shouldered her back on to avoid making eye contact, and took off.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

GUESS! WHO! FINALLY! DECIDED! HOW! TO! RESOLVE! THE! TENSION!

tbh I've edited this chapter so many times over the past few months that no matter what I'm not gonna like it so I don't even know if it's any good or whether it's a hot piece of trash so I guess I'll have to wait and sEE

special shoutout to the amazing souls who still read and liked the story even when I was missing for another fucking millennium

also in case anyone cares I recently started cross-posting this to AO3 in order to give people more variety so go over and check it out if you prefer that platform! same name, same pseudonym :)


	11. Chapter 11

author's notes at the end of the chapter!

* * *

"Hey," Heita said, chin in his hand and eyebrows raised as he watched Karin and Hitsugaya sit down at their desks. "I see you two are—"

"Will you _shut_ up?" Kei said, reaching forward and yanking Heita's collar so hard that the latter nearly snapped his back over his chair.

"Okay, okay! Christ!" Heita choked, rubbing and his neck and sputtering. "I'm just saying, you know. Nice to see the club in one piece again."

"Sorry," Hitsugaya said. Not really genuinely, since he got roped into the club more than anything, but now that he had made the commitment, it seemed fair to apologize after skipping club for close to two weeks. "I've been…busy."

"Not really what I was getting at—but never mind," Heita backtracked quickly, seeing Kei and Kazuya's sharp looks. "Anyways, seems like you got what you wanted, Kurosaki."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Haruki came and joined the soccer club after you dipped yesterday."

"He what?" Hitsugaya exclaimed, so loudly that half of the class turned to look at them.

"What's wrong, Hitsugaya-kun?" Eiji asked, alarmed. "Are you alright?"

"Nomura spoke to you? After I left yesterday?"

"Well, yeah," Heita said. "He came by the field and said he'd heard that Kurosaki had started a club that wasn't affiliated with the school's team, so he asked if—"

"Kurosaki-san!"

They looked over, and saw that Haruki Nomura was standing at the foot of their classroom, waving with a bright smile. Maybe he didn't realize how loud he was projecting his voice, because the rest of their classmates turned around and looked right along with them.

"Good morning!" Haruki chirped, and practically started skipping over to their desks. "May I come in?"

Hitsugaya bristled, but before he could say anything, Karin was already standing up in her desk. "Hey," she said, looking enthusiastic. "So you really joined the club?"

"You bet. I hadn't really decided on after-school activities yet, and the guidance councillor was starting to pressure me to pick something. Uehara-san was telling me that you've all been playing soccer since you were young, so I figured I was learning from the best."

Haruki looked over at Hitsugaya, still smiling cheerfully. "Good morning, Hitsugaya-kun," he said. "I didn't know you were in the club as well."

"Yeah," Hitsugaya said, throwing daggers with his glare. "I am."

"Well isn't this exciting, then! I've had the pleasure of being acquainted with all of you briefly, so this should be a lot of fun. I hear Karin-chan is the captain of the girls' team, too."

Heita promptly choked on his spit, and began to have an extreme coughing fit in the background, while everyone else looked at Haruki in dumb shock.

" _Karin-chan?_ " Heita wheezed. Eiji reached over and tried to pat his back, saying nothing, but his expression looked about as thunderous as Hitsugaya felt.

"Oh," Haruki said, rubbing his neck. "Was I too forward?"

"Uh—no, it's fine. I don't really care," Karin said, blinking. "You can call me whatever you want."

"Well, that's a relief! I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable. I should probably get back to my class now, haha! I'll see you guys after school!"

"Bye, Nomura-san," Kazuya said, the only one who had recovered enough to speak. They all stared as Haruki left the classroom whistling, in complete silence.

Karin looked over at Heita, who was hiding his face in his desk, shoulders shaking. "The hell are you snickering for?" she demanded.

"Congratulations, Kurosaki," Heita said, barely able to hold in his laughter. "There's finally a guy in this school who actually thinks you're cute."

"What's that supposed to mean, asshole?" Karin snapped, grabbing the back of his head and crushing his face into the desk.

"Nomura-san is very forward, isn't he?" Kazuya said, sounding impressed. "You don't see that kind of talk very often."

"He's got a lot of energy, that's for sure," Kei said. "But I guess that's good if he's joined an athletics club."

"Kurosaki, can I talk to you?" Hitsugaya interrupted.

Karin looked up from where she was still smushing Heita's face. "Yeah, sure," she said.

They stepped outside, and Hitsugaya made sure to close the door so that they were shielded from the prying eyes of Karin's friends. "You can't let Nomura join the club," he said.

"What? Why not?"

"Something about him is weird," Hitsugaya said. "When I was racing him during sports day he kept saying really odd things to me. His attitude doesn't sit right with me."

"What do you mean, odd things?" Karin asked.

"Just…things. About you."

"You're not giving me enough here. Are you saying he was spreading rumors about me or something? Like, is it bad?"

"No, not like that," Hitsugaya said, turning red. "Look, I don't want to repeat it. I just don't think it's a good idea to have him around after saying the things that he did."

"Well, unless he's said something bad, we can't bar him from the club just because you don't like him. We'll get shit from the teachers."

"This isn't about not liking him, this is—" Hitsugaya stopped, then abruptly reached out and yanked the classroom door open. Sure enough, Heita, Kazuya, and Yuzu all tumbled out into the hallway, having leaned against the door in order to eavesdrop.

Hitsugaya could feel a vein throbbing in his forehead. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Leave it," Karin sighed. "They're always like this. Don't waste your energy."

"Not to butt in, dude," Heita said, smushed beneath a very sheepish-looking Kazuya and Yuzu, "but it sounds like you just feel threatened because Nomura beat you in the 400m."

"I'm sorry?" Hitsugaya asked, planting a foot on the back of Heita's head and grinding his face into the floor. "I didn't quite catch that."

"Ack! My nose! You're going to break my nose!"

Karin put a hand on Hitsugaya's shoulder. "We can continue this after. Let's get inside before one of the teachers sees us."

"Fine," Hitsugaya said, disgruntled. He stepped over the others and slammed the door in Heita's face.

-.-.-.-

When Hinamori sees him, she can barely stifle her laugh.

"I don't see what's so funny," Hitsugaya said, another migraine already forming behind his right eye as the grainy, off-coloured image before him has to cover her mouth with one hand to hide her trembling smile.

"It's just. You're still so _cute_ ," Hinamori chortled. "All grown-up looking, and you're, what? 168cm? 169?"

"Look who's talking!" Hitsugaya snapped. "You stopped growing thirty years ago. You're the last person I want to hear this from."

"Sorry, Shiro-chan. Rangiku made such a fuss about it, I was expecting you to be Kenpachi-sized."

"Still Captain Hitsugaya to you. And you know better than to trust half of the things she says."

"Really? She made it sound like you guys were having a blast over there. I heard you participated in you very first human Sports Day."

"Yes. It was horrendous."

"Come, now," Hinamori scolded. "This is good for you. Socializing, making friends. You never do that stuff here in Soul Society."

"Are you calling me friendless?"

"So I hope you're playing nice," Hinamori said, ignoring him. "Rangiku-san's been keeping me posted here. It sounds like you're going to be there for a while yet, so you might as well make the most of it."

"Why does everyone say that to me every time I make a call?"

"Probably because they're glad it's not them in your shoes." Hinamori begun fiddling with her hair clip, a new and recent sign that she was thinking. "How are you holding up?"

 _I'm not_ , Hitsugaya thought, but that sounded like a complaint, and he did not complain. "I've got my hands full."

"Sounds like it. At least you're getting some help, right?"

"'Help' is a strong word. You haven't seen this lot. It's a far cry from the divisions. Speaking of which, though. There's a reason I'm calling."

"It's about the investigation into the 5th Division, right?" Hinamori said. "I know. They've already started. The Captain's really on edge."

"What for?" Hitsugaya said. Hirako's unfortunate Hollowfication incident had happened well over a hundred years ago. "I thought Iwasaki was after his time."

"Aizen…is still a bit of a touchy subject," Hinamori said. The finality in her voice and the discomfort on her face showed that she was speaking from personal experience. "I think it bothers Captain Hirako knowing that Aizen was…grooming people. While he was gone."

Hitsugaya grimaced. "I wish you wouldn't use that word."

"There isn't any other word for it," Hinamori said stonily. "But we're not talking about me. I don't remember there ever being an Iwasaki in the division, but some of the others do remember him. And they're all under strict orders from the Captain to cooperate. I think you'll hear whatever there is to know about him soon."

"Good. Don't let them pester you too much, if it bothers you."

"Don't worry. They all know Iwasaki left before I joined. Not much for them to pester me with. Did you want me to talk to the others…?"

"No, that's not necessary. If they're as cooperative as you say, then I'll just have to wait for the report to come back."

Hinamori hummed her acknowledgement. "Say. What do you think will happen to those girls once all this is over?"

Seven hells, Matsumoto really did not waste any time spreading that around.

"What happens to the Kurosaki twins depends on how they act for the rest of my stay here. As long as they're not acting dangerous or stupid, I doubt the Captain-Commander will make a fuss."

"I'd like to meet them," Hinamori said suddenly. "Or, at least, I want to know what they're like. It's pretty rare for a whole family to turn out as Shinigami, don't you think? Even here…that kind of spiritual pressure doesn't come a dime a dozen."

"It's the genes," Hitsugaya said dismissively. "Listen, I'm going to go now. If I have to spend one more second in this insufferable climate I'm going to bring a snowstorm on this town."

"That's okay. I just wanted to check in and see if you were doing all right. Do you need anything?"

"If I can think of anything, I'll let you know," Hitsugaya said. "Thanks for the offer."

"No worries," Hinamori said cheerfully. "See you, Shiro-chan."

Hitsugaya sighed as the monitor switched off. He was probably still going to hear that nickname well into his old age.

"She's looking pretty good, don't you think?"

Hitsugaya looked over his shoulder, and saw that Matsumoto was leaning against the doorframe behind him, arms crossed despite the heat. "Not above eavesdropping on a private conversation, I see," he said, mildly annoyed.

"It's not eavesdropping if the door's wide open."

"There _is_ no door there."

"Never you mind. As I was saying, doesn't she look much better these days? Naps almost as much as you do now, from what I've heard."

"It's a futile effort. She's never going to grow any taller."

"Nobody is talking about height anymore!" Matsumoto huffed. "Stop hyper fixating and listen. I'm not actually here to eavesdrop, I came because I've been thinking and I have idea."

"Am I going to approve of this idea?"

"Maybe. Most likely. I was thinking I might swing back into Soul Society and try to do some extra groundwork in Rukongai."

"On Iwasaki?" Hitsugaya said, focused.

"Yeah. I was kind of interested in speaking to the 5th Division myself. And then I figured, it wouldn't hurt to ask around Kijitsume as well. Wasn't that long ago that he left the place. Might be worth checking out."

"Agreed," Hitsugaya said. "You'd just have to convince the Commander to take you back."

"You say that as if it's difficult," Matsumoto laughed. "I reckon I'll be a week, maybe ten days. That sit okay with you?"

"It'll have to. Besides, I'd be more comfortable if you did go and talk to the 5th Division yourself."

"I figured you would. Well, with any luck I'll be back in Soul Society by tomorrow morning. Be sure to call me if need be."

"I will." Hitsugaya stood up. "I'm going to leave now. I think my skin is melting off of my face."

"I'm sure it is, you big baby," Matsumoto said, and laughed again when Hitsugaya stormed out in response.

-.-.-.-

Despite the end of the first school term approaching fast, many of the school's sports teams were still in full swing. The Beginner's Soccer club only had access to one corner of the playing field, the rest of it currently occupied by the field hockey team and the school's actual soccer team, of which Eiji was their mid-fielder; he was busy practicing with them today. Around the edge of the field, the cross-country team was running laps.

Hitsugaya stood, arms crossed stubbornly despite the fact that it was only making him sweat even more. Haruki just smiled back in response, hands folded behind his back, rocking back and forth on his toes. Heita and Kazuya stood a couple feet away, looking between them curiously, still clutching the bag of soccer balls between them.

"Can you help Fenn and Nakagawa with their dribbling exercises?" Karin said, speaking to Kei and pointing him in the direction of the other two first years. Then she walked over. "Hey, Haruki. Glad you decided to join us."

"Oh, me too," Haruki chirped. "It's not every day that you get four excellent players to teach you soccer all at once."

Seven hells, this was going to be one insufferable hour.

By comparison, Heita squared his shoulders and beamed. Hitsugaya supposed Heita didn't hear that he was an excellent player very often.

"Well, let's get started, then!" Heita said. "So. How much do you already know about the game?"

"Oh, nothing at all, I'm afraid," Haruki said. "I've never played soccer before."

Heita laughed, but Haruki's expression didn't change, and his laughter died away, slowly morphing into a look of confusion. There was a beat of awkward silence.

"Sorry," Karin said, blinking. "Are you serious? You've never played soccer before?"

"You're kidding, right?" Heita said, incredulous. "Didn't they ever make you play during gym class or—or something?"

"Not in the least. Is that abnormal?"

"Abnormal?" Heita practically squeaked.

"What about on TV?" Kazuya said, equally stunned. "You've seen a game on TV before, right?"

"You have to have seen one," Heita butted in. "The—The J League matches! They're on practically every Saturday! There no way you could have missed those?"

Haruki pondered this. "I think I saw it once," he said, "a long time ago, when I was very young. It was playing on a big television inside of a bar, and I was on the outside, looking in through the glass." He paused. "It was snowing."

"Well," Karin said, as everyone else stared in dumb shock. "That's…a very specific memory."

"Oh yes. That was a very special day for me. Otherwise I might have paid more attention to the game than I did," Haruki said pleasantly. "Now, is it true that you're only allowed to touch the ball with your feet?"

Heita looked utterly horrified. At that moment Kazuya took over, and motioned towards the net at the end of the field. "Come on, Nomura-san. It'll be easier for me to explain the rules with visuals."

"Certainly," Haruki said brightly, and walked with Kazuya over to where the soccer team was practicing. Heita trailed behind them speechlessly, his feet seeming to move of their own accord.

Karin sidestepped to where Hitsugaya had been standing in silence the whole time. "When you were talking about him saying weird stuff earlier," she said, leaning in so that she wouldn't be overheard, "you didn't mean like that, did you?"

"No," Hitsugaya said, watching Haruki with narrowed eyes. "But that certainly didn't improve my take on his remarks."

"Never seen a soccer game before." Karin looked mystified. "That's like admitting you've lived in a shack in the middle of the woods your whole life."

Hitsugaya didn't respond to this, but in a way he had to agree. If there was one thing he understood about this country called Japan, it was that soccer was an immensely popular sport. Heita hadn't been lying—there _were_ soccer matches playing every Saturday, which he only knew about because Karin could not be seen anywhere else on a Saturday afternoon except on her living room couch. On top of that, several players from the national team were featured in tons of advertisements, for things that weren't even soccer-related—electronics, clothing, alcohol. Soccer was just impossible to miss.

"Hey," Karin said curiously. "You think he's ever heard of _Captain Tsubasa_?"

"Of what?"

"It's a manga—never mind, forgot who I was talking to. Anyways, we should probably get in there and help Kazuya. And stop sulking," Karin said, shoving Hitsugaya's shoulder. "Give the guy a break, huh? You can't scowl at him for a whole hour."

"We'll see," Hitsugaya muttered, but he obediently followed Karin anyway.

-.-.-.-

"Kira!" Matsumoto exclaimed. The doors of the Senkaimon slid closed with a gentle _thud_ behind her. "What a surprise! What's the matter? Did you miss me that much?"

"Come on, you're making it sound weird," Kira said, sheepish. He scratched at his neck with his left hand, his right tucked into the folds of his kosode. "The Captain-Commander just wanted me to make sure you made it back safe. He also said that I'm to offer my company during your investigation, if you need it."

"Seriously? Out of all the lieutenants, he sent the cripple?"

"Matsumoto-san!" Kira looked scandalized. "I'm not crippled. My right hand isn't gone, you know."

"I know, I know. I'm only kidding with you. I'm sure that hand of yours can work all kinds of magic if it needs to." She winked, and enjoyed the way Kira sputtered in response. Teasing him was way too easy. "Anyways, I don't want to bore you with an escort detail. I don't think interviewing the residents is going to be too much trouble. But feel free to do my paperwork on my behalf, if that interests you."

"You know I can't do that."

"I know. Just wishful thinking. Well, I'll be off now!" Matsumoto said cheerfully, waving him off and already heading in the direction of District 33. "If you see the Commander tell him thanks anyways! I'll catch you later!"

"If you say so," Kira said, lifting a hand back in response.

Matsumoto stretched her arms over her head and stifled a yawn. _If I work quickly enough_ , she thought, _I'll be able to sneak in a quick visit to the bar by dinnertime_.

She strolled off towards Seireitei's gates with a hum.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

can you believe that in all 366 episodes of bleach only 9 out of 320 rukongai districts were ever mentioned  
anyways so since I had to make one up kijitsume=pheasant's talon

happy new year everyone!


	12. Chapter 12

Despite the air being relatively dry and free of humidity, Hitsugaya still had to walk with his hands out of his pockets, fingers limply hanging to try and minimize the amount of sweat culminating in his palms. He was perspiring heavily along his hairline, could feel it pooling in his hair and running past his ears, but he didn't dare remove the baseball cap he's borrowed from Karin that morning. At the very least it kept the glare of the sun out of his eyes.

It had been difficult finding an excuse to slip away from Kurosaki. More difficult than he wanted to admit. After a month of living in the same house, going to and from school together, attending club activities together, it left little time and reason for Hitsugaya to be separated from Karin. He supposed he could have waited till after dinner that night, when he was usually left to his own devices inside of his room, but instinct persuaded him against it. He needed to go during daylight.

The abandoned warehouse—once called the Momiage Publishing House, he'd discovered—stood in stark contrast to its appearance at night time. Now it just looked like a crumbling mess of red brick. Hitsugaya examined it from under the rim of his baseball cap, hands returning to his pockets despite himself. His right hand curled around the plastic of his Gikon dispenser, and he relaxed a bit.

The air betrayed no trace of reiatsu, but by now Hitsugaya knew better. He was betting on the warehouse being well and truly abandoned, that Iwasaki had moved on to another hideout now that this one was compromised. But that was little more than hopeful thinking. He knew about as much about Iwasaki now as he did before. Which was nothing.

"Oh! Hitsugaya-kun!"

Hitsugaya whipped around, eyes narrowed upon recognizing the voice. Haruki Nomura was coming up the sidewalk, waving his hand high over his head. His brown curls were half-soaked with sweat.

"My, it's a hot one today, isn't it!" Haruki exclaimed, coming to a stop in front of Hitsugaya and fanning himself. "We never got heat like this back in Sapporo. Unless we're talking about record highs, of course!"

"What are you doing here?" Hitsugaya asked, not in the mood to put up with useless chitchat.

"I'm on my way to the train station," Haruki reported happily. "Although by the looks of it I may be going the wrong way." He motioned to the warehouse. "Quite the eyesore. First I've seen since I've gotten here, haha!"

Hitsugaya had to suppress the urge to throttle him. "You've got the wrong train station," he said slowly. "This is the way to the abandoned station. The one you want is east of here. Past the supermarket."

"Oh?" Haruki seemed surprised. "Well, it certainly sounds like you know your way around here very well. So what, may I ask, are _you_ doing here? By such a suspicious looking building, no less?"

Hitsugaya stiffened angrily. "That's none of your business."

"Goodness," Haruki said. "Such hostility in your voice, Captain. One would think you were up to no good."

The word _captain_ hit Hitsugaya like a slap in the face. He leaned in, but Haruki didn't take a step back, unfazed by Hitsugaya's posture and demeanour.

"What did you just call me?" Hitsugaya demanded.

"Oh, dear. Should I have not called you that? I saw an older woman shout it to you on Sports Day, you see," Haruki said. He was still smiling pleasantly, but it seemed—at least to Hitsugaya—that his words carried the faintest air of menace to them. "I thought that was a clever little nickname. I assumed it referred to your position as the leader of the soccer club. So you can imagine my surprise," he smiled even wider, "when I found out that Karin-chan was the leader of the soccer club, and not you."

For the first time in his life, Hitsugaya was sorely tempted to swear at a human. There was a moment where he was torn between following through or grabbing Haruki by the collar of his shirt. In the end, he probably would have done neither, but it was rare for him to even consider it. He opened his mouth, prepared to get a scathing word in instead.

"Tōshirō!"

Hitsugaya almost heard the thundering of her feet hitting the pavement before he heard her shout. He and Haruki both turned to watch Karin sprinting up to them, her knapsack jumping what had to be painfully on her back with each stride. Her expression was one of pure agitation, but when she realized who was standing with Hitsugaya, she smoothed it out at once into a look of surprise.

"Haruki," Karin panted, wiping her forehead and the sides of her face. "I didn't expect to see you here too."

"Too?" Haruki shot a side-glance at Hitsugaya.

"Oh—yeah, I mean, we were supposed to go shopping after this," Karin said, realizing what she'd just implied. "Kazuya's birthday is coming up."

"Is that so!" Haruki exclaimed. "I had no idea! Do you suppose I should get him something too? I'm afraid I don't know Usaka-san very well, but he has been awfully nice about teaching me. It seems only fair that I should thank him. I don't suppose I could—"

Hitsugaya knew what was coming. He saw it from a mile away, and knowing what he was going to say, knowing that Haruki even had the gall to say it in the first place, caused Hitsugaya to do something that he never did: he moved without thinking. Before Haruki could finish, Hitsugaya reached out and grabbed Karin's hand, purposely and conspicuously.

"It isn't actually Usaka's birthday," Hitsugaya said flatly. "Karin made an excuse so as to not be rude about excluding you. Sorry."

"Oh-ho-ho-ho," Haruki said, lifting one hand to his mouth like a middle-aged woman who had just heard some juicy gossip. "It seems I should be the one apologizing. I had no intention of intruding in on your date. Please forget that I said anything."

"We're not—" Hitsugaya began, and then thought better of it. The more he could distance Haruki the better. "Good luck finding the station."

"Yes, thank you for the directions. Bye, Karin-chan!" Haruki said, wiggling his fingers at Karin even as Hitsugaya began to drag her away.

"Hey—" Karin said, as if to protest, but she saw the look on Hitsugaya's face and stopped. Then, for the next ten minutes, Karin didn't say anything, despite the fact that her hand had to be uncomfortable—Hitsugaya had gripped her by all four fingers and her thumb, leaving her hand awkwardly poised inside of his sweaty grasp.

"Dude," Karin said finally, tugging on his grip. "Stop for a minute."

"What?" Hitsugaya bit out, still fuming. They had stopped in the middle of a busy sidewalk, and people began to glance at them and brush shoulders as they manoeuvred around them.

"What do you mean, 'what'? What the hell was that back there? Did something happen?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"You're kidding, right?" Karin said incredulously. "Where do I even start? First of all—"

She stopped, suddenly looking embarrassed. Hitsugaya realized then that he was still holding on to her hand, and he snatched it back, mouth going dry.

"Sorry," he said. "I just didn't want him to come with us."

Karin stared at him. "Dude," she said. "Don't tell me Heita was right."

"Right?"

"About you being jea—"

"I'm not jealous of him!" Hitsugaya practically shrieked, causing the crowd around them to jump and look over in alarm. "That's not even close, okay? Look, I know he acts like everyone's best friend, but that's not who he really is. That Nomura kid knows something, or he's hiding something. He followed me to the publishing house—"

"And it's a good thing he did!" Karin snapped, suddenly bristling. "How could you even think of going back there by yourself? After everything that happened? Is that what you wanted this for?" She lightly smacked the brim of Hitsugaya's cap. "Did you think that would be enough to disguise yourself? If Haruki hadn't distracted you you would have gone back inside, wouldn't you? Are you some kind of idiot?"

"You're missing the point!"

"Excuse me," a girl nearby said. She was wearing a black apron over her clothes and looked slightly frightened of them. "I'm sorry, but you're causing a disturbance in front of my shop. You're going to scare my customers away."

"Sorry," Karin said quickly, grabbing Hitsugaya's arm. "We'll leave right away."

"I can _walk_ ," Hitsugaya said, but stopped protesting when Karin shot him a glare. She waited until they were off the main streets and walking through their neighbourhood before speaking again.

"Look," she said, "I agree it's weird that Haruki was there, but you are taking your beef with this guy to the next level. I mean," she gave him a weird look, "since when have you ever actually called me Karin?"

"What?" Hitsugaya said, almost in disbelief.

And then he remembered.

 _Karin made an excuse so as to not be rude about excluding you._

In that moment, Hitsugaya wanted the ground to split open beneath him so that he could sink into the earth. Never, not once in over a hundred years of his existence, has he ever called someone else by their first name. Not Matsumoto, not Isshin. Not even Hinamori. Not only that, but he had been _caught_ doing it.

He was going to be sick.

"Hello?" Karin said, when Hitsugaya suddenly stopped walking, seeing his look of mortification. "Tōshirō? Are you okay?"

"I need to—leave," Hitsugaya croaked.

"Leave? What do you mean leave? Hello?!"

"I need to go," Hitsugaya said, turning around and walking stiffly in the other direction. "I need to leave. Goodbye."

"Dude, what the fuck? At least tell me where you're going!" Karin yelled after him, but Hitsugaya could no longer hear her, too caught up in thinking about disappearing from sight as soon as possible. Karin watched him go with exasperation.

"Boys," she muttered, turning and walking in the direction of home.

-.-.-.-

"…Matsumoto-san?"

"Hm?"

"What are you wearing?" Kōkichirō Takezoe asked, staring.

"They're called sunglasses," Matsumoto said, rubbing at her pounding temple with two fingers, "and I'll have you know that they're very fashionable in the World of Living. And great for keeping that awful sunlight out of my eyes."

"Lieutenant, weren't you supposed to be in Rukongai last night?"

"Listen, you. The Captain-Commander wanted to know what the Captain and I have been up to on Earth, and I just happened to debrief him at the bar, alright? Now do you need something?"

"Yes," Kōkichirō sighed. "I came to tell you that nobody wants to get in trouble for forging your signature on your documents, so they won't do it."

"Babies," Matsumoto muttered. "Fine, just leave it on my desk. I'll figure out what to do with it later."

"Yes, Lieutenant."

Matsumoto lifted a hand to her mouth and suppressed a burp, wincing at the taste of whiskey that came up. _What the Captain doesn't know won't hurt him_ , she thought, adjusting her sunglasses. She waved perfunctorily at the guards as the doors of the Shōryūmon swung open before her.

With its relatively inconspicuous place as District #33 in East Rukongai, Kijitsume was neither a very rich nor a very poor district. It was far out enough from Seireitei that petty crime still took place, but it was a far cry from the neighbourhood Matsumoto had grown up in. Matsumoto looked around as she walked, taking in an old lady sweeping her front steps, a couple going for a leisurely stroll, a handful of kids playing with spinning tops. Judging from the looks people gave her as she passed, Matsumoto and her sunglasses were probably the oddest thing to have come by in a while.

"Excuse me," Matsumoto said, spotting a teashop and approaching the proprietor. "Do you know the residents of this area very well?"

"Mostly, I think. Are you looking for someone?"

"Yes, but he would have lived here a while ago. His name was Atsuya Iwasaki."

"Iwasaki?" The owner seemed taken aback. "I know the name, but I'm afraid you won't find him here. The house where that boy lived was torn down a long time ago. Only the plot remains there now."

"Torn down?"

"Yeah. People were frightened of the place. Probably thought it was cursed."

"I can't blame them. Where is the plot now?"

The proprietor gave her detailed enough directions that Matsumoto didn't take long to reach it. The plot hedged on a thick patch of trees, without much in the way of lanterns or lamps nearby; probably what perpetuated rumors of the place being haunted. With the exception of the three front steps and a few piles of rubble nearby, nothing remained of the home Atsuya Iwasaki grew up in. Not even a plaque or sign marked that a family had once lived here. Matsumoto looked across the flat slope of dirt and gravel, curious as to why nothing had been rebuilt in its place.

There was a sound like a sliding door rattling in its frame behind Matsumoto, so she turned around. Across the path, in the house directly across from the abandoned plot, the front door had been opened a crack, and through it a small child was glaring out at Matsumoto. By human standards, he couldn't have been any older than eight or nine, and he was overdue for a haircut. The childish brown eyes that peeked out from his long dark bangs made him look like an angry sheepdog puppy more than anything else.

"Oh. Hello," Matsumoto said, turning and offering up a smile.

The child said nothing.

"Ah, I've got it. It's these, right?" Matsumoto took her sunglasses off. "See? Normal eyes." She held the sunglasses out. "Want to take a look? They're just plastic."

The child threw the door open, feet planted apart as if prepared to fight. Matsumoto didn't think it was possible, but he was able to pinch his face into an even deeper scowl than before.

"What's a Shinigami doing here?" he shouted, squaring his shoulders. "We have no business with you!"

Matsumoto pretended to frown. "Goodness. You've got a lot of fire for such a little squirt."

"I'm not a squirt! My name is Miyazawa Toru!"

"Well, Miyazawa Toru, my name is Matsumoto Rangiku. Now what exactly have people been telling you that's got you all worked up over seeing a Shinigami?"

Toru turned his nose up. "Dad says it's the Shinigami's fault that people disappear around here. He says that Shinigami think we're disposable just because we don't have special powers and swords like you do. And he says I'm not allowed to play over there," he pointed to the empty lot, "because the ground is cursed, and that the Shinigami did that too."

Matsumoto exhaled slowly. She supposed she should have expected this. You don't just have one of your captains pop off 28,000 souls and expect people to have forgotten about it two years later. But the ugly truth was that Kurotsuchi was the least of it. If the need ever arose, Kurotsuchi—along with the rest of the divisions—could repeat that same ugly incident with full permission, and there was nothing the citizens of Rukongai could do about it.

"Come a little closer, Miyazawa Toru," Matsumoto called. "It's not polite to shout at someone from so far away."

Toru hesitated, but he balled his fists up and descended his front steps. He seemed determined to show that he wasn't afraid of her, despite his father's warnings. "What?" he said defiantly.

Matsumoto crouched down, settling her weight on the back of her heels. "Take a guess where I'm from."

Toru narrowed his eyes. "You're not from here, are you?"

"Here, specifically? No. But I used to live in District 64, in the north. So I consider myself very lucky that I wasn't one of the people who disappeared too."

"Yeah, but you obviously have powers," Toru huffed. "You could've defended yourself if they tried to take you."

"I'm not so sure about that. Someone had to save me, once, a long time ago." Matsumoto inclined her head towards the vacant plot. "Why did you say that this place is cursed?"

"Shouldn't _you_ know?"

"Whatever happened here happened a long time ago. I don't know all the details."

Toru crossed his arms. "Dad didn't want to tell me what happened, but my sister Nako is friends with the Furuya guy that used to live two doors down, and he saw what happened."

"And?"

"There used to be a family there. A mom, a dad, an older brother and a younger sister. But Furuya said the big brother never left the house. The mom and dad used to say he was sick, and that he couldn't leave the house. Dead people don't get sick, do they?" Toru said suspiciously.

"It's very rare. But a few people can."

"Well, the older brother wasn't actually sick. That's what Furuya said, because _his_ older brother told him that you could hear the mom and the dad hitting him sometimes if you passed by their house at night."

"They hit him?" Matsumoto said, attention focused.

"Yeah. Furuya's brother used to sneak out at night to drink with his friends or something, and sometimes the mom and dad forgot to close the windows all the way and you could hear them fighting and the older brother crying. It must've hurt a lot, if it made a big brother cry."

"Yes, it must've," Matsumoto said quietly. "Do you know why they hit him?"

"Dunno. Furuya said the mom and the dad were scared of him, but I don't know why they'd be scared of him," Toru shrugged. "He wasn't actually sick. They were just lying about that."

"How do you know?"

"Cause when the Shinigami man came to take him away Furuya saw him and said he looked normal. That he didn't look sick at all."

"Who took him away?" Matsumoto said sharply.

"I dunno. Some guy in a white coat," Toru said, nervous at Matsumoto's sudden change of tone. "It was the same night that the family disappeared. Furuya said that one night when he was sleeping, he woke up and heard yelling and screaming from inside the house. Everyone was too scared to go see what it was, so they sent someone to go get a Shinigami. And then the one that came was dressed like you," he pointed at Matsumoto's uniform, "but he was wearing a white coat on top of it."

"And?" Matsumoto pressed. "What happened?"

"Dunno. They were just gone," Toru said. "Even though everybody heard the mom and the dad and the sister, the Shinigami man came out and said that they must've run away. Nobody saw them leave, though, so they couldn't have run away."

"They were gone?" Matsumoto said. "Just like that?"

"Yeah. After the Shinigami man took the older brother away, people went inside the house to take a look, but it was empty. Nobody was there anymore. Then people got scared and said the older brother must've did it, and that's when they broke the house down."

"People think Iwasaki did something his family?"

"Yeah." Toru leaned in and lowered his voice. "Furuya's brother said that when they broke the house, the lifted up the floor and the whole ground underneath was black with blood. Furuya's dad had been helping, and after he saw that he went to a priest cause he was scared he was cursed after touching the house."

That had definitely _not_ been in the report. "And the Shinigami man? Did Furuya or his brother remember what he looked like?"

"Not really," Toru said. "They just said he was wearing glasses."

Matsumoto swore under her breath.

"Hey, you're not gonna get me in trouble, are you?" Toru said uneasily. "I don't think I should have told you all that."

"No, you're not in trouble. I won't tell anyone it was you that told me," Matsumoto said distractedly, standing to her full height again. "You know where Furuya is now?"

"Dunno. His family moved to another house fifteen years ago, and I think he got married and started his own family now."

"Never mind, then. Thanks for the tip, kid. And hey," Matsumoto said, stopping mid-step as she was about to turn away, "you remember my name, alright? If there's something else that you can tell me about this, or if you ever need anything, just ask for me."

Toru stared at her. "Do you know what happened to him? The big brother?"

"Yeah," Matsumoto said. "Yeah, I think I do."

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Hey all! I'm going to be really busy with school for the next few months, but I managed to put this together to hold you guys over till then. Thank you all for the wonderful comments and praises! Enjoy :)


	13. Chapter 13

**a/n at the end of the chapter!**

* * *

"Right, so," Heita said, shoving a handful of potato chips into his mouth and not bothering to chew before he spoke, "as you all know, summer vacation is coming up, and things are going to be different this year. We're all in high school now, which means that we can't waste time just playing sports or going to the arcades. Our youth is upon us, gentlemen. We have to do our best to capture those sweet, fleeting feelings of a summer romance before our time is—"

"Stop right there," Hitsugaya cut in, holding one hand up. "You said this was an emergency meeting. This is not an emergency."

Heita's apartment was a modest one, and pretty average looking, considering the person who lived in it. With Heita's parents and sister out, they were assembled on the living room floor, the coffee table loaded with convenience store treasures. The TV was on with the volume lowered, tuned in to this week's FC Tokyo vs. Urawa Reds match. Near the balcony door, a small bamboo tree for Tanabata had been purchased, and four brightly coloured paper tags were tied to its skinny branches.

"Maybe for you it's not!" Heita shouted, and thrust an accusing finger into Hitsugaya's face. "So the rumors are true then? You and Kurosaki went on a date? OH-HO, HOW GOOD FOR YOU THEN! I didn't take you as the kind of guy to leave us in the dust, but by all means, enjoy living the shoujo dream!"

"Don't kid yourself!" Hitsugaya snapped, pushing Heita's finger away. "We didn't go on a date. I just let Nomura come to that conclusion so that he would leave me alone."

"I'm surprised, Hitsugaya-kun," Kazuya said, peeling back the lid of a pudding cup. "I can understand Eiji not getting along with Nomura-san, but I didn't think you would dislike him, too."

"Speaking of, where is Eiji?" Kei said. "You got started without him."

"He's coming from his part-time job," Heita said, rolling his eyes, "so he's gonna be late. Not that he's in any emergency, either. The guy's rich and blond. He's got the best chances out of all of us."

"Look," Hitsugaya said, annoyed, "I'm really not interested in hitting on girls or whatever it is you're scheming to do, so if that's all you called me here for—"

"Not so fast, friend," Heita said, putting a hand on Hitsugaya's shoulder and shoving him back down when Hitsugaya tried to stand up. "Girls are just one piece of the big picture. I also need help with my summer homework."

"I'm leaving now."

"If we're going to be planning summer vacation, then why didn't we invite Kurosaki?" Kazuya asked, as Heita began wrestling with Hitsugaya to keep him seated.

"I mean, I get that she probably won't be interested in hitting on girls, but that doesn't mean we still can't hang out as six."

"For most stuff, sure. But if we're going to be doing things like the beaches or an overnight trip like Heita wants," Kei said, "then it's probably not a good idea to bring Kurosaki with us."

"It's not?" Hitsugaya asked, holding a struggling Heita in a headlock. "Why do you think so?"

"She's a _girl_ ," Heita wheezed, prying Hitsugaya's arm off of his neck. "You really think any of our parents are gonna be chill with one girl being alone with a group of guys?"

"Not that Kurosaki can't fend for herself," Kazuya said. "Or that we'd try anything."

"Tell my faithless sister that."

It was with disconcerting embarrassment that Hitsugaya realized they were right. Kurosaki could fend for herself—especially against these idiots—but at the end of the day she was, in fact, a teenage girl. It was something that Hitsugaya often forgot, what with everything going on, and to be reminded of it gave him a strange tingle in his neck.

"Eiji texted," Kei said, looking at his phone.

"He almost here?"

"No, he said he can't come. Has something important to do, apparently."

Kazuya frowned. "It's not like him to cancel last minute. Hopefully it's nothing serious."

"Oh, it had better be serious," Heita interrupted. "Or else he's gonna hear it from me the next time I see him. Now, I know you losers don't have any plans tonight, so are we going to Tanabata or what?"

Despite all attempts to escape at this point, the numbers were against Hitsugaya, and he found himself spending the next thirty minutes listening to Heita's brainstorming. He didn't say it out loud, but there was a low chance of him doing anything Heita was suggesting. He didn't want to spend any more time outside in the sweltering heat than he had to. Things like the public pool, going camping, and the batting center required leaving the house. He mentally crossed out each activity one by one.

His cellphone, which was on the table, suddenly began to vibrate for an unusually long duration. Hitsugaya frowned, wondering if someone was calling him, but when he picked his phone up he realized that two text messages had come almost simultaneously.

To his surprise, the first one was from an unknown number.

 _Hello, Hitsugaya-kun. This is Eiji Furukawa. I asked for your number from Karin. I hope you don't mind. If you're free, would you mind meeting me? I have something I'd like to discuss with you_.

The second was from Matsumoto.

 _Hello Captain! I'm back! Come to Urahara's shop! I have so much to tell you!_

Hitsugaya stared at his phone. In spite of everything going on, at that moment, both text messages had his equal attention. Eiji had never privately reached out to him before. Hitsugaya had spoken to the group collectively a couple times, when Karin had tried initiating him into their World of Warcraft guild, although that had stopped pretty quickly upon realizing that Hitsugaya could barely operate a keyboard.

 _I'll be there soon_ , Hitsugaya texted Matsumoto. Then, to Eiji, _I need a bit of time. Can you meet in front of subway station around 6:30?_

His response came quickly. _I can. See you then_.

-.-.-.-

"His records had been altered," Matsumoto said, swirling her glass of cold barley tea with her straw. "Must not have been difficult, considering this is Aizen we're talking about. All mention of the fact that he was the first person at the crime scene and the first person to speak to Iwasaki was completely gone from the report. So was the fact that they'd found blood underneath the foundations of the house. If there had ever been any bodies to find, doubtless Aizen took care of those, too."

"So the people Iwasaki lived with abused him, and he retaliated by killing them, or else made them disappear," Hitsugaya said. He wished he'd had the foresight to suggest meeting at Kurosaki's house. He was already on his third glass of tea, and didn't feel any better for it. "That doesn't explain why Aizen decided to take such a personal interest in him."

"I can hazard a guess. After all," Matsumoto said, "Aizen had been visiting Rukongai constantly. As far back as when I was a child. Don't you think it's possible that he might have taken notice of Iwasaki while he was out testing the Hōgyoku on people?"

"And then took him under his wing? Aizen tested that abomination on thousands of people. What could have prompted him to care for a single soul from Rukongai?"

"I don't know. But take a look at this." Matsumoto slid a few sheets of paper Hitsugaya's way. "This is all progress feedback from the teachers who had Iwasaki as a student at the Shin'ō Academy. They all cite impeccable behaviour and a glowing disposition for learning. Does that sound like the kind of person who was at the heart of a family massacre?"

"So Aizen was covering for him in the Academy, too." Hitsugaya crossed his arms. "I doubt he would do any of that out of the goodness of his heart. He probably had some sort of plan for Iwasaki."

"Except that whatever it was, Iwasaki bailed," Matsumoto said, "and left for the World of Living. Never to be heard from again, until now."

They both sat in silence for a while, thinking this over. Hitsugaya pulled the blade fan across the tatami mat until it was two feet away from his face.

"Do you think he got scared?" Matsumoto asked.

"Of Aizen? More than likely. Still, I find it odd that Aizen would just let Iwasaki run off like that. Taking him out of Rukongai, covering up the murders, helping him fool everyone into thinking he was harmless. Either Aizen got what he wanted from him, or Iwasaki was extremely good at hiding."

Matsumoto sighed. "Anything new on his accomplice?"

"Nothing. Kurotsuchi went back to Seireitei just after you returned. Said he couldn't deduce anything else without running the reishi samples through his lab equipment."

"So we're all stumped, then."

"I guess that's what that means, yes." Hitsugaya glanced at his watch. 5:53. "The investigations into the 5th Division are still ongoing, so the best thing for us to do now is try and track down Iwasaki's paper trail. Undoubtedly living under a false alias, but if we can figure out what sort of position he held at the publishing company, we might be able to go from there."

"I don't know about you," Matsumoto said, grabbing a nearby handkerchief and unabashedly wiping the sweat from her breasts, "but this is starting to feel more and more like we're on the losing side of this fight."

Hitsugaya felt inclined to agree. "Did you talk to anyone from the 5th while you were there?"

"Not really. Captain Hirako basically told me to bug off when I tried, and I didn't feel like trying to snoop around after that."

"Doesn't matter, then." Hitsugaya stood up. "I need to go. Tell Tsukabishi thanks for the tea."

"Sure you don't need to use the bathroom before you go?"

"I'm not a child," Hitsugaya snapped. Then, after a moment, "Where is it again?"

-.-.-.-

Hitsugaya arrived at the station ten minutes early, but Eiji was already there, standing across the street with one hand on the bicycle he'd leaned against a streetlamp. He was still in his black uniform slacks, his shirt sticking to his back. He smiled and waved as Hitsugaya approached.

"Hey," Hitsugaya said. "Sorry. Were you waiting long?"

"Not at all. I just got here myself," Eiji said. Hitsugaya had no clue whether Eiji was telling the truth or not. "Have you eaten yet?"

"No."

"Me neither. Let's grab some dinner first, and then we can talk. I don't know this area very well, but if there's something you'd prefer…"

"It's all the same to me," Hitsugaya said, because it was. Most of the food of this world was still foreign to him, even some of the Japanese dishes. At this point he was resigned to eating whatever was in front of him regardless if he knew what was in it or not.

They ended up in one of the fast food burger restaurants, not that Hitsugaya knew any of them apart. After ordering their food, they carried their trays over to the window seats so that they could keep an eye on Eiji's bike while they ate. The sun was sitting in the middle of the sky, casting long shadows from the surrounding buildings and the feet of the crowds swarming past the other side of the glass.

"Thank you for taking the time to meet me," Eiji said, wiping a bit of mayonnaise off his thumb with a napkin. "I'm sure you were surprised to hear from me earlier today."

"Well, a bit," Hitsugaya said. "Since you didn't show up to Toujoin's bogus meeting."

Eiji laughed. "Yeah, I felt a bit bad about that. But it sounds like I wasn't missing out on much."

"You weren't." Hitsugaya paused. "The others were worried about you. Did something happen?"

"No," Eiji said, "not exactly. I guess I wasn't up to meeting them today. Or maybe I was feeling uneasy thinking about this meeting."

Hitsugaya looked over, the rest of his fries forgotten. "I make you uneasy?"

"You really do speak frankly, Hitsugaya-kun."

"When I mean to," Hitsugaya said.

Eiji propped his chin in his hand, gazing absent-mindedly at the people beyond the glass. "No, you don't make me uneasy," he said finally. "But the conversation I want to have with you does. Although—this is a bit off-topic, but can I ask you something?"

"Yeah?"

"How old are you?"

The question nearly caused Hitsugaya to fall out of his stool. He stared at Eiji, trying not to look like he was suppressing an instinctive fight-or-flight response. "W-What?"

"Sorry," Eiji said. "If that's weird. It's just…sometimes the way you talk, or the way you look at people…you've got these crazy blue eyes. They show expressions and emotions I've never seen before. Not even elders look at me like that. Every other part of you looks young, but…"

In that moment Hitsugaya knew that lying to him would be useless. He couldn't tell him the whole truth, of course, but any story Hitsugaya could try and conjure up would fall flat under Eiji's observant gaze. Clearly he wasn't as good at playing a sixteen year old as he'd like to be.

"I'm older than you," Hitsugaya said, after a long minute of collecting himself. "I actually…well, I used to go to a different school, once. Circumstances just made it so that I ended up enrolled in the same year as you. That's all."

"Hmmm," Eiji said. He sat thinking for a while. "Thank you for being honest with me."

"It's fine. But I can't imagine that's what you called me out here for."

"You're right. I was just curious, so I couldn't help asking." Eiji took a sip of his drink, until the sound of the straw sucking air at the bottom of the paper cup came out. The ice inside rattled when he set it back down on the counter again.

"I'm thinking," Eiji said, "that I'm going to start getting serious about Karin."

"You are?" Of all the things Hitsugaya expected—particularly after being asked his age—this was not it. It surprised him in a number of ways; he didn't actually figure Eiji to have the guts to go for it. What surprised him more, though, was the tumultuous feeling that suddenly churned in his gut, as if his stomach was being vaulted through a raging and stormy sea. It unsettled him in ways he didn't understand.

Whether or not Eiji understood what Hitsugaya was thinking, he was still able to notice the expression on Hitsugaya's face. "You're probably wondering why I'm telling you this."

"I'm assuming you want me to keep my distance," Hitsugaya said, remembering Heita's accusations earlier about him and Karin going on a date.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to say as much." Eiji looked out the window again. "The truth is, I didn't know how to tell the other guys. We've all been close friends for so long, it's kind of embarrassing to think about how they might react if I told them. Somehow it seemed…easier, to tell you instead. You don't strike me as the kind of person to kick up a fuss about stuff like this."

"You'd trust me enough to tell me something like that?" Hitsugaya said, stunned.

Eiji blinked. "I don't think you're a bad person, Hitsugaya-kun. I told you this because I don't think you're the type to share a secret or go behind my back, and because I hoped that if you ever felt the same way, you'd do the same thing and tell me, too."

Hitsugaya blushed furiously. "There's nothing to tell. Like I said already, there's nothing going on between me and Kurosaki."

"Then," Eiji said, smiling, "I'll count that as your blessing."

"Please stop talking like that."

"Sorry, sorry." Eiji scrunched up his burger wrapper. "Shall we go?"

They walked out. Hitsugaya stood by and waited for Eiji as he unlocked his bike. "You heading home?" Hitsugaya asked.

"Not quite. I have one more person I have to meet, and then I'll be heading home. Will you be okay from here?"

"Yeah. Kurosaki installed a GPS on my phone for me."

"Then I suppose I'll see you at school on Monday," Eiji said, swinging his leg over his bike. "Get home safe."

"You too," Hitsugaya said, and watched as Eiji pedalled leisurely away, one hand lifted in farewell before disappearing.

A couple passed by in front of Hitsugaya, the sound of their geta clattering against the sidewalk drawing his attention. They were both wearing a yukata, arms linked beneath the folds of their large sleeves. _Right_ , Hitsugaya thought, _Tanabata_. He'd been largely ignoring colourful streamers and paper lanterns that hung from every shop and corner, but now they were at the forefront of his vision, reminding him that he still had a blank tanzaku waiting for him at the Kurosaki house.

Hitsugaya stuffed his hands in pockets, the soles of his shoes dragging a bit as he walked in the direction of the clinic. _If I wrote that I wished for these stomach pains to go away_ , he thought, somewhat irrationally, _who out there is reading it?_

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

It's been 84 years...I don't even remember if I've made that joke yet anymore...

I feel TREMENDOUSLY awful, especially considering that this chapter is not as long as I would've liked, but I promise promise promise I have not given up on this. I love and miss my boys (and girls) and it'd be very difficult to let go of this story so easily. I will die finishing this fic if I have to mark my words

As always, thank you to all the lovely and encouraging messages!


	14. Chapter 14

**a/n at the end of the chapter!**

* * *

Despite the fact that the skies were clear when Hitsugaya had started on his way home, it was raining by the time he reached the Kurosaki clinic. As it was lately, this didn't particularly bother him; the rain was a welcome reprieve from the scorching summer sun, and the droplets felt refreshing on his skin. He kept his leisurely pace and allowed himself to become half-wet before reaching the front door.

Yuzu was in the kitchen, packing the leftovers from dinner into Tupperware containers. Menchi-katsu today.

"Hitsugaya-kun!" she chided, as soon as she realized that Hitsugaya was dripping where he was removing his shoes. "You didn't take an umbrella with you?"

"I don't remember it being forecast for rain," Hitsugaya said. "Where's everyone else?"

"Dad's doing inventory in the clinic. Karin-chan hasn't come home yet."

"I see. You need help with anything?"

"Don't mind me," Yuzu said, waving him off. "You need to go and take a shower before you catch a cold."

"Shinigami don't really catch colds."

"We'll see, if you keep standing around in those wet clothes. Now go on."

Hitsugaya remained unconvinced, but a shower seemed like a good idea regardless, considering how much he had been sweating today. He grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from his room and obediently retreated to the bathroom.

It was when he'd stepped under the showerhead and started shampooing his hair that he realized this was his first moment of true solitude since early this morning. He'd spent his entire day talking to people, and even when he hadn't, the bustle and traffic of Tanabata had crowded him from one place to the next. He was surprised to find that he was mentally exhausted.

 _I hoped that if you ever felt the same way, you'd do the same thing and tell me too._

Hitsugaya pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes, internally groaning. If there was ever a sign that he'd assimilated himself too thoroughly here, this was it. How the hell had he gotten caught in the middle of some high schooler's love life? Moreover, how did he get so thick in it that he's been perceived as a _threat?_

If anyone caught wind of this he'd be the laughing stock of Seireitei. The genius captain, the youngest ever to rise to his position, was being told to back off by a human teenager. But then, this was probably a good thing. Heita was right for once; Eiji was far from ugly, and came from a well-off and respectable family. His soft disposition made him easy to get along with. On top of all that, he and Karin had a long history. The circumstances could not have been any better Furukawa. He and Karin could start dating, and then Hitsugaya could finally…

Finally what?

Hitsugaya turned the hot water off. That was enough alone time for today.

As he towelled his hair off, he could hear Yuzu's exasperated voice through the bathroom door, now in the process of chastising someone else. Without thinking he stood still, just catching her next few words—"What is it with everyone in this house?"—before realizing that he was eavesdropping, and resumed drying himself.

By the time he was dressed and opened the bathroom door, Karin had just reached the top of the stairs. Hitsugaya noticed, stunned, that she was much wetter than he had been when he'd gotten home. In fact, she was drenched. Her jeans were three shades darker from all the water they'd absorbed, her black t-shirt clinging to her shining skin. Her hair had that wet tangled look of just getting out of the bath, rainwater dripping off the ends of her ponytail. He could hear the drops spattering against the hardwood floor beneath her feet.

"Kurosaki?" Hitsugaya called, because Karin was standing there with this weird, far-off look in her eyes, staring at a blank space in the wall.

Karin looked over at him, and something flickered briefly across her features. She'd almost looked…frightened?

"Tōshirō," she said. "Hey."

"Are you alright?" Hitsugaya said. "What happened to you?"

"I walked home," Karin said blankly, shuffling towards her bedroom. Hitsugaya followed her, watched from the doorway as she dropped her backpack and suddenly sat down in the middle of her room, her legs sprawled out in front of her.

"Did something happen?" he pressed. Her behaviour was beginning to make him nervous. "Kurosaki."

For a long moment Karin said nothing, staring at her own socked feet as if she'd never seen them before. Her hands came forward to loosely wring themselves in her lap.

"Eiji confessed to me today."

She might as well have said "Eiji and I got hitched today." "You're joking," Hitsugaya said, without really meaning to, because that would have meant that Eiji had immediately biked his way from meeting Hitsugaya to tell Karin that he was in love with her. Hitsugaya knew this conversation was going to happen no matter what, but he didn't think he was going to hear it _tonight_.

Karin noticed his uncharacteristic outburst, and it was enough to pull her somewhat out of her daze. She looked over at him, studying his expression. "I'd never seen him so serious. If it were any of the other guys, I would've assumed they were pranking me. But…"

Hitsugaya understood. "What did you tell him?"

There it was again. The briefest flicker of fear on her face. "I…I told him I didn't know."

It was hard to deny what happened next, as much as Hitsugaya willed himself to. His stomach clenched in on itself briefly, hard enough that it almost made him want to throw up. More worrisome than that was the constricting in his chest, uncomfortable and suffocating, and filled with that same foreign emotion that had been plaguing him on and off these past few months.

"I don't understand," Hitsugaya said, the words coming out before he had recovered.

"I didn't know how to answer him," Karin mumbled. "I've never thought of him that way. Not once. But…we've known each other since we were in kindergarten. It didn't feel okay to just tell him 'no' without thinking about it. Was that the wrong thing to do?"

"It depends. Did you tell him you would think about it because you value his feelings? Or because you pity him?"

Karin flinched, stunned. "No! I mean—I don't think so?" She pushed her damp hair away from her forehead. "Fuck me. Is it always this difficult to make a decision?"

"You're asking the wrong person," Hitsugaya said. "I've never been with anyone."

Karin looked at him, eyes suddenly going dark, and Hitsugaya felt her gaze from the top of his neck all the way down to his tailbone. Something about her stare was distinctly fervent, and he could feel his face heating up in response, unused to being at the receiving end of such a look.

"I'm sorry my answer was so dissatisfying to you," Hitsugaya said, more harshly than he had intended.

"Sorry. It's not that. It's—never mind." Karin faced away. "Look, can we talk later? I want to be alone."

"Fine by me," Hitsugaya said, instinctively relieved, but then he remembered that she was crumpled rather pathetically on the floor, half-soaked and unhappy, and he realized then that he had utterly failed at being any kind of rational or emotional support. "Do you…need anything?"

"No. I just need to be by myself for a little while. Sorry."

Hitsugaya placed a hand on the doorknob, pausing, but in the end he closed her door without saying another word. The last thing he saw through the crack was Karin's hunched shoulders, her head bent forward.

Whatever brief relaxation he had felt from taking a hot shower was completely gone now. Hitsugaya shuffled into his room and looked around. His algebra homework lay on his desk, mostly finished. He could've completed it easily, without requiring his full attention, but for some reason it was the last thing he felt like doing. Instead he numbly turned on his blade fan, turned his lights off, and crawled into bed, shutting his eyes and senses out from the warm thrum of Tanabata fireworks bursting somewhere beyond his window.

-.-.-.-

"The Captain-Commander apologizes for not being here to speak with you personally," Nanao Ise said, adjusting her glasses. Despite the poor video feed, her stare still seemed to penetrate as clearly as though she was right in front of them. "All questions and concerns are to be referred through me for the time being. In the meantime, thank you for taking the time to receive this call."

"It's hardly something to thank us for," Hitsugaya said, arms crossed. Matsumoto, Urahara and Tsukabishi were seated somewhere behind him. "We've only been sitting around waiting for Kurotsuchi's results."

"Yes, about that. I'm afraid you're not going to be happy to hear this," Nanao Ise said, adjusting her glasses. "From what I can gather in this report, this Zanpakutō you're dealing with—that's creating all of the Garganta—isn't anywhere in Seireitei's records."

Hitsugaya stared at the monitor. "Lieutenant, are you trying to tell me no such sword exists?"

"According to Captain Kurotsuchi, no. There's no doubt he's telling the truth. He was inordinately interested in his results, and inappropriately pleased with himself."

"Well," Urahara spoke up, sensing Hitsugaya's irritation spiking, "that's certainly not the first time we've had such an incident. If there's anything we can try and take away from this, it's that we can narrow our search results down a bit."

"I thought the same," Nanao said, reaching off-screen and retrieving a file. "So I've combed through our records to try and find all similar incidents of unregistered Zanpakutō encounters.

"You'll remember a few years back there was the Shinenju phenomena, but we can rule that one out, because even a Shinenju's Zanpakutō would be recorded here under the name of someone deceased, and there's no reports of strange activity from the Valley of Screams.

"Then I thought perhaps it was an Arrancar, which seemed the most likely, considering the nature of our problem. The Captain-Commander took the liberty of sending a diplomatic envoy from Special Forces to Hueco Mundo to speak with Tier Harribel. Without a formal government, there was no library or any kind of records for us to access, but according to Harribel the nature of the Arrancar makes it impossible for their Zanpakutō to wield such a power anyway. Especially considering they can make the Garganta well enough without a sword. So, unless there is something I've forgotten, that means that the only possible explanation left—"

"Is that we're dealing with a human Shinigami," Hitsugaya finished. "Someone similar in nature to Kurosaki Ichigo and his kin."

"Bingo."

"Another Substitute Shinigami?" Matsumoto said, stunned. "But how could they have hidden themselves from Soul Society without being noticed for so long?"

"With Iwasaki as an accomplice, it's certainly not impossible," Urahara said. "And I should consider myself somewhat of an expert at it, if I do say so myself. With the proper utilities and resources, even a Shinigami with the ability to tear gateways between worlds can remain a secret for years, if they're careful enough. And it seems Iwasaki is no novice in hiding in plain sight either."

"We've underestimated Iwasaki, it seems," Hitsugaya said, expression darkening. "This isn't some random freak occurrence we're dealing with. This is a plan that's been years in the making. They're making their move now because they're confident that they're powerful enough to win."

"Iwasaki was training the culprit," Matsumoto said, realization dawning. "For how long…?"

"That, I believe will remain unclear until the criminals are apprehended," Nanao said, making her presence known again. "For the time being Captain Kurotsuchi has entered the reishi samples into his database, in the hopes that we can follow any traces of reiatsu to their current whereabouts. As for closing the Garganta…I'm sorry to say there is little to be done on our own. We need whoever wields that Zanpakutō."

"I assumed as much. Give our thanks to the Captain-Commander."

"There's one more thing. It concerns Matsumoto-san," Nanao said.

"Me?" Matsumoto said, alert.

"We've had a look at your report," Nanao said, looking down at the file in front of her. "I'm afraid I have some bad news. The family living across from the old Iwasaki plot was found dead early this morning."

From where she had been sitting, Matsumoto's fists squeezed themselves so hard that her knuckles turned white. She stared in shock at the monitor, her throat moving with emotion. "How?" she asked.

"There was some kind of commotion. It would appear all of the family members turned on each other suddenly. Each body had wounds sustained by the different means in which they fought. From what we can gather, the father was the last one left standing. He slit his own wrists shortly thereafter."

"What of the boy?" Matsumoto said desperately. "The son?"

Nanao grimaced. "He—"

"Enough," Hitsugaya cut in. He turned to his lieutenant. "Matsumoto. You don't need to hear those details."

Matsumoto bent her head forward, trying to hide her face behind her hair.

"I'm sorry," Nanao said, genuinely.

"Send word to my division for me. Have someone ensure that the family is buried properly," Hitsugaya said.

"Understood. Is there anything else?"

"For the time being, no. We'll keep the Captain-Commander posted."

"Then, farewell," Nanao said, and reached out to turn her camera feed off. The screen went dead a moment later.

There was silence. "Captain," Urahara said. "Surely you suspect as much as I do that the family's massacre was Iwasaki's doing."

"Yes."

"You didn't see fit to mention that he somehow made it in and out of Soul Society without the 12th division noticing?"

"I doubt they didn't notice. Regardless of the method of transportation, an opening from one world to the next creates a disturbance in the reishi field that's too abnormal to ignore. The 12th division can see everyone's comings and goings. The fault of not being able to stop Iwasaki before he left is entirely their own, and they know it. They'll say nothing until they can come up with an excuse for what happened."

"It's my fault," Matsumoto said, voice thick. "I shouldn't have—"

"No. You did the right thing," Hitsugaya said. "We were able to learn something about our enemy because of you, and because of the child. Iwasaki did this solely to provoke us. It's not something he's going to get away with. We'll see to that ourselves." He paused. "Take the rest of the day off. I expect to see you back in peak position by tomorrow."

"Yes, Captain," Matsumoto said, head still bowed.

"I'm going to leave now," Hitsugaya said, getting up. "I still need to change back into my human disguise before school."

"There probably wasn't any point in changing into your usual self, you know," Urahara said, barely containing his amusement. "I'm sure Commander Kyōraku would have told his favourite vice-captain all about your fancy new appearance."

"Doesn't matter. The less people see it the better," Hitsugaya said flatly.

"Well then, don't be shy. Do whatever you must before you go."

"Not in front of you people I'm not," Hitsugaya muttered, standing up. On his way out, he placed a hand on Matsumoto's shoulder.

"We'll find him," he said.

Matsumoto sniffled, but when she looked up her eyes were hard and alight with constrained fury. "Yes," she said. "We will."

-.-.-.-

At first, it was almost as though nothing had happened.

Hitsugaya walked into class that morning to find both Karin and Eiji chatting with the rest of the gang. They spoke normally, and to all appearances seemed completely unbothered by each other's presence. They ate their lunch together as usual, opting to stay indoors because of the rain that hadn't ceased since Saturday. For a moment Hitsugaya started to wonder if had just dreamed up the entire weekend.

But then after school clubs started.

"Well, this is unfortunate," Haruki remarked, as they looked on at the agglomeration of clubs each fighting to continue their activities in the limited space of the indoor gym. The basketball and volleyball teams, normally the reigning lords of this territory, were looking miffed about having to share their space with newcomers, and the badminton, softball, and track teams were all crowded to small spaces around the perimeter, trying to find ways to continue their usual warm-ups. Beyond the open doors of the gym, the wall of raindrops coming down seemed today to look like the side of a cage.

"Gotta admit," Heita said, hands folded behind his head, "it's moments like these that make me wish we were an indoor club that had a room all to ourselves."

"It's supposed to be forecast for rain all week," Kazuya sighed. "We're probably not going to get anything done in the meantime. Not if the competition for the gym is this fierce."

Kei looked around. "Where's Kurosaki?" he asked.

Hitsugaya had noticed Karin's absence, but had found himself reluctant to mention it, as if doing so would break the spell of peace that had blanketed them all day. Now there was no ignoring it. It was already almost 4 o'clock, and Karin was usually the one shepherding them to after school activities in the first place. Hitsugaya glanced over at Eiji, and found him looking quietly at his feet, saying nothing.

In his pocket, Hitsugaya's cellphone began to ring, and he pulled it out to find that the caller was an unknown number. Curious, he put the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hitsugaya-kun," Yuzu's voice answered. Where the hell was everybody getting his phone number from? "Sorry to call you like this instead of coming in person, but I didn't want to be late for calligraphy club again. And…"

There was a pause. "Karin-chan told me to tell you that she's gone to the public library this afternoon."

"She told you to tell me that?" Hitsugaya said, confused. Heita, Kei, Haruki and Kazuya all turned to look at him.

"Yeah. She…she's changed her schedule recently. She told me that she wants to train alone," and Hitsugaya could hear the concern in her voice as she said this, "so she told me that from now on she's going to do her homework first after school, and then head to Urahara-san's in the evening, when I've already left."

"Am I to take it that she won't be coming to the club for a while?"

"I don't know. I asked her about it, but she didn't really give me a straight answer. I'm sorry to tell you like this. She should have just said so to you herself, but…"

"It's fine." Hitsugaya got the message loud and clear. She wanted to be alone. "I'll pass the info along."

"Tell the guys sorry for me as well."

"I will." Hitsugaya hung up, and found the others all staring at him expectantly. "Kurosaki's gone to study," he said simply. "She's not going to make it today."

"Was that her just now?" Kazuya asked.

"No, it was her sister."

"Great," Heita said, turning and kicking a soccer ball against the gym wall in annoyance. "More of Kurosaki's cryptic shit. Just when I was starting to miss it."

"Save it. It's not going to make the situation any better," Kei said. "If she's got her own stuff going on then it's not any of our business."

"I'm not saying she has to include us in every little thing she does," Heita snapped. "But the least she could do is tell us to our face if she's not going to make it out somewhere. If I had 100 yen for every time she fucked off without even trying to come up with a decent excuse, I'd be bursting out the ass with—"

"It's because of me."

Everyone looked over at Eiji. If Heita genuinely being angry with Karin hadn't surprised Hitsugaya, the fact that Eiji was speaking up now certainly did.

"What do you mean, Furukawa-kun?" Haruki asked calmly, apparently sensing that the others were too taken aback to ask themselves.

"Exactly what I said. It's my fault. We had an argument, and that's why she's not here. Now can we please move on from this conversation?" Eiji said, not meeting anyone's eyes. "I don't really want to keep talking about this."

"I don't—" Heita began, but Kei lifted a hand swiftly, his eyes commanding him into silence. Hitsugaya instantly felt out of place, surrounded by faces that ranged from shock to worry, a swift and stark reminder that he was, after all, not one of them. Karin and her friends went back for years, and it plain to see how discordance among them caused each of them an individual pain Hitsugaya did not understand. He unconsciously took a step back, uncomfortable.

"Maybe we should just call it a day today," Kei said finally. "We're not going to find any space here today. If it's still raining tomorrow, we can meet up and consider our options."

"Fine," Heita said, and stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked away, not saying another word. Kazuya called after him, but Heita didn't react, and then the tension only seemed to thicken with his absence.

Kei sighed. "Does everyone here have an umbrella?"

"Yes," Kazuya said in a small voice.

"I do as well," Haruki said, and bowed slightly. Hitsugaya was glad that, for once, the prick seemed to have a read on the atmosphere. "I hope the rest of you get home safe. I'll see you tomorrow."

Kei looked over at Eiji as Haruki walked away. "Furukawa?" he asked.

"I have one," he answered, still not facing any of them.

"Alright." Kei looked at Hitsugaya, and Hitsugaya understood immediately, as soon as their eyes met, that Kei knew Hitsugaya knew more than he'd let on. "You're okay to get home, Tōshirō?" Kei asked. It was the first time he'd used Hitsugaya's first name.

"Yeah," Hitsugaya responded. "Sorry for the mess."

"It's not your fault. You were just unlucky enough to be the messenger. We'll catch you tomorrow."

"Alright," Hitsugaya said.

He took that as his cue to leave as well. He made quick work of reaching his locker and changing out of his indoor shoes, retrieving the compact umbrella Yuzu had loaned him from his backpack. It was yellow with white polka dots, but Hitsugaya tried to ignore that part, along with the curious stares of several students caught waiting the rain out at the entrance of the school. The gloom of the clouds overhead made it seem as though it was well into the evening already.

For a moment, Hitsugaya considered calling Karin. He was curious if she had really gone to the public library, or had just made up a place to avoid having people look for her. Then he realized it didn't matter either way; it wasn't his business to grill her about where she really was, and she probably wouldn't have picked up the phone or tell him the truth even if he did call her. For some reason, the reality of that bothered him.

 _I must be losing my mind_ , Hitsugaya thought, and allowed himself to curse quietly when the rainwater began to soak into his socks through his shoes.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

okay so I worked REALLY HARD to update this quickly because I felt bad about the gap between the last two chapters but I also have an important question

I've been wanting to change the title for some time now. I only picked "The Cat and the Rabbit" because it was early enough into my notes that I didn't really had a good sense of what aspects of this story would end up being the most important, and the Gikon thing was really only a minor detail, so I don't think it suits being the title anymore. But I'm also bad at coming up with titles period, so I'm open to suggestions lol. If you guys can think of anything I'd be happy to hear it. Doesn't have to be anything super poetic either, I'll take silly/simple suggestions too.


	15. Chapter 15

**a/n at the end of the chapter!**

* * *

Hitsugaya stirred awake, the sound of footsteps padding in the hallway drawing his attention. He'd only been half-asleep, but he blinked blearily and looked over at the clock on the desk. 12:13am. He could hear the sink running briefly in the bathroom, and then the footsteps moved away before a door clicked shut. The twins' room.

Hitsugaya looked at the clock again, unsure if he'd seen correctly. Karin just got home, he realized. She had still been out when he'd decided to turn in for the night. Had she really been at Urahara's until now?

Hitsugaya turned over and pulled the blanket over his head. If this was going to bite him in the ass, it could wait until morning.

-.-.-.-

When he woke, it was to the sound of a scream.

Hitsugaya jolted upright in his bed just as the rest of it began to hit. The earthquake shook the whole house, causing dust to stream down from the ceiling and for his books and pens to rattle violently against the desk. Then there was the searing pain inside of his head, as if a hot knife was splitting it in two; without thinking he tried to leap out of bed, and found that his legs were numb, causing him to crumple onto his knees instead.

"Kurosaki!" Hitsugaya yelled, just as the earthquake ended. "Karin!"

"I'm here!" he heard from down the hall.

Scrambling up, Hitsugaya burst out of his room and ran towards the twins' room. Karin was stooped over on the floor, both hands clutching at her head. Hitsugaya knelt in front of her and grabbed her arm roughly, and Karin looked up at him with tear-stained cheeks, gasping for air.

"What the hell was that?" Karin croaked, voice cracking. "What the fuck just happened? How did—was that another Garganta? Where did Yuzu go?"

"Stay here," Hitsugaya said, struggling to rise to his feet again. "Listen to me, stay here—"

"No! You can't just go by yourself—"

"This is _not_ your responsibility," Hitsugaya said firmly. "Do you understand me? Until I figure out the situation, you are to stay here and wait for me. As much as you don't want to hear this, you'll just be a liability."

"Karin!" Isshin appeared in the doorway, alarmed. "Tōshirō! Are you two alright?"

"Keep a watch on her," Hitsugaya said, motioning at Karin and prying himself from her raking fingers. "Make sure she doesn't follow me."

"What the fuck, _no!_ " Karin shouted.

"You're going on your own?" Isshin said. "I wouldn't advise it."

"I'm not. Doubtless Matsumoto will be there by now. I've wasted enough time here. Wait for me to return before doing anything drastic."

"Tōshirō!" Karin exclaimed, but Hitsugaya was already swallowing his Gikon. He felt his human body falling away behind him, and he surged forward, leaping out the window and straight into the air.

In the distance, thunder was booming.

-.-.-.-

The moment Hitsugaya realized where the Garganta was, it took a second for him to confirm that his instincts were correct, because this—this couldn't have been right. It seemed so intentional, so uncanny, a kick to the gut while they were still struggling in the dirt. Almost as though the universe was laughing at them.

But the bald truth was in front of them, impossible to will away. The Garganta hung three hundred feet in the air above the Karakura High school grounds, bigger than any that Hitsugaya had seen yet. It was nearly fifty feet wide in diameter. Hollows were emerging one after another, shrieking and charging as if bewitched, circling the air above and falling down to crash in the school courtyard below.

There were students everywhere on the school grounds, students that had been streaming through the gates to attend their morning classes when the Garganta had opened. A number of them were fleeing underfoot, terrified either from the enormous quakes in the ground or the explosions that the footfalls of the Hollows created. Two trees were already showing damage from being crushed from above; a third fell just as Hitsugaya arrived, having suffered a great blow to its trunk, and the sound of branches snapping violently against the dirt was drowned out by the discordant cries of the monsters emerging from the Garganta. The downpour that had plagued the town all week was now absolutely torrential, the raindrops big enough obscure someone's eyesight.

Beneath Hitsugaya, some seventy feet away, Haruki Nomura was star-fished on the ground, on the verge of a concussion, his eyelids fluttering and pupils rolling in his head. Heita was shaking his shoulders and yelling, and Eiji was at his side, trying to convince Heita to carry him together. A few feet away, Kazuya had laid on his stomach and covered his head with both hands, and Kei was on his hands and knees next to him, eyes searching frantically for the cause of the destruction around them.

"Hadō Number 4!"

A fierce scream echoed across the grounds, and Hitsugaya saw as a familiar black shape shot up from the school roof, fingers pointed straight at the Garganta.

" _Byakurai!_ "

The air around Yoruichi's hands crackled, and a bolt of blue lightning shot out from her fingertips, ripping through the air in a blinding streak of light. The sound of thunder boomed just as the Kidō found its target, and two of the Hollows began to plummet to the ground before dissipating in mid-air.

"Captain!" Matsumoto appeared next to Hitsugaya. "The girls—!?"

"They're at home," Hitsugaya barked. "Never mind them, we need to get this under control _right now!_ Get the ones in the sky before they reach the ground! There are still humans escaping!"

"Got it!" Matsumoto drew her sword. "Growl, Haineko!"

Matsumoto's sword burst into a cloud of ash, moving like an angry swarm of hornets through the air. Hitsugaya quickly unsheathed his sword, and pointed the blade at the hoard of Hollows that were charging towards him.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyōrinmaru."

-.-.-.-

"Nomura!" Heita yelled. "Nomura, come on!"

"He can't move on his own!" Eiji shouted. Haruki lay prone between them, frighteningly quiet. "We have to carry him together!"

The sky overhead suddenly cracked with lightning, momentarily blinding everyone through the rainstorm. Kazuya screamed, and Kei flopped onto his belly, instinctively shielding his head as another round of tremors and bellows shook the earth.

"What is happening?" Kazuya cried, as the ground suddenly caved and sunk into potholes all around them. Above their heads, the thunder was deafening, the rain thick enough to make it difficult to breathe. "What the hell is happening?"

Kei didn't answer, stricken. He couldn't… _see_ , not with all the rain in the way, not with all of these natural disasters threatening to murder them in cold blood any second. But between the raindrops in his eyes, marring the air, he could see something. There were spots in the air that were twisting and morphing, like a mirage you'd see on a blinding summer's day. They had…shapes, to them, and what Kei could see of them had the pit of his stomach growing cold with fear.

 _What is this? What are those things?_

"Kei!" Eiji yelled, strong-arming Haruki over his shoulders, his blond hair plastered to his forehead. "Get Kazuya! We need to go!"

Kei yanked on Kazuya's shoulders, forcing him upright on his knees. "Let's go," he said, helping him to his feet. He put an arm around Kazuya's shoulders and started running, throwing one last glance at the sky behind him.

-.-.-.-

The dragon that stretched from Hitsugaya's blade extended further and further away from him, threading wild circles through the air as it systematically chased one Hollow down after another. Its icy jaws left none of its victims alive; one by one they fell to the ground in great chunks of ice, shattering against the battle-torn school grounds below. Above their heads, lightning was beginning to crack with increasingly unnerving frequency, its light scattered brightly across Hyōrinmaru's brilliant scales.

"Hey, you pipsqueak!" Yoruichi yelled, suddenly appearing in the air about ten feet away from Hitsugaya. "You need to tone it back! Seal your shikai before we all get drowned or worse!"

"Excuse me?" Hitsugaya yelled back, his tone nowhere near as polite as his word choice. "I'm not the one doing this! This storm might be exacerbated by Hyōrinmaru's power, but I've still got a limiter placed on me! This isn't coming from me!"

"I know that, you midget! Can't you tell where it is coming from by now? Use your senses!"

Understanding hit Hitsugaya with the next thunderclap. The non-stop rain since Saturday. The sudden severity of the storm after the Garganta opened up. Karin, confused, enraged, in pain, helpless to act.

"Combined with Hyōrinmaru's weather altering effects," Yoruichi continued, "if she gets any more agitated than this, this storm will kill us before these Hollows do! This doesn't need any more firepower than it's already got!"

Hitsugaya cursed, flicking his sword briefly. The ice dragon roared briefly before breaking into a cloud of crystalline shards, disappearing quickly into the rainfall.

"Care to give me any more suggestions to deal with this?" Hitsugaya snapped, motioning towards the Garganta still spilling Hollows out every few seconds.

"Aren't you supposed to be the smartest Captain in the divisions right now? Figure it out yourself! _Sōren Sōkatsui!"_

"Yuzu?" Matsumoto's voice suddenly exclaimed.

Hitsugaya whipped around.

Yuzu Kurosaki was nearly at ground level, in her Shihakushō, holding what only could have been her Zanpakutō. Its guard was bright gold, its grip threaded with pink and red, with two tassels hanging off the end of the hilt. Her form was shaky, her arms and legs in all the wrong places, but she was cutting insistently at Hollows nonetheless, doing her best to strike down the ones that had made it to the ground.

"Oi! Kurosaki!" Hitsugaya shouted. He leaped down, quickly slashing through a Hollow that was thundering towards Yuzu from behind, trying to take advantage of her unguarded back. Yuzu turned around, yelping as the Hollow fell forward and skidded a few feet before crumbling into a cloud of black ash.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Hitsugaya said roughly. "This is the last place you should be right now! Get out of here before someone injures themselves looking out for you!"

"No," Yuzu said at once. Her expression was focused away from Hitsugaya, scanning the battlefield over her head. "No, I can do this. I've nearly got it."

"Nearly got what? Hey!" Hitsugaya barked as Yuzu broke away from his side, running towards the nearest Hollow. His attempts to follow her were cut short as a different monster let out an ear-piercing screech and leaped at Hitsugaya from the left. He instinctively raised his sword, the blade cutting easily through his attacker; the two halves of it fell around Hitsugaya, crashing into the mud.

"Three," Hitsugaya heard Yuzu say. "Two."

"Yuzu!" Yoruichi hollered. "Hold on a minute!"

The broken halves of the Hollow disappeared, and Hitsugaya's line of sight fell on Yuzu, whose blade let loose one final, definitive stroke upon a Hollow whose leg she had cut off. The Hollow's mask broke in half, and was soon reduced to the otherworldly particles from which it had been born.

"One," Yuzu said, and pointed the tip of her sword to the Garganta.

"Weep, Higanbana Kōgō."

For a moment, nothing changed, except that a series of faint etchings appeared on the blade of her Zanpakutō. They shone as if illuminated by moonlight, in a tongue Hitsugaya could not read.

Then, suddenly, all of the Hollows collectively began to scream.

The ones that had been flying through the air all clutched their heads and ceased to flap their wings, and one by one they fell, shrieking as they went. Each created a booming tremor as they collided into the ground, mud splashing wildly about them. The ones who were already on the ground curled up and writhed in agony with their flying brethren. Their howling was so high-pitched and intense that Hitsugaya had to clap his hands over his ears, unable to withstand the chorus of so many creatures wailing in pain. Above him Yoruichi and Matsumoto did the same, their faces twisted, mouths open in a cry of discomfort.

Then the Hollows began to die. One after another they exploded, as if something had created a catastrophic burst from inside of them, their caterwauling cut to an abrupt end. Bits of limbs flew out and then turned to dust before they hit the ground again, and so many of them did this at once that for a moment it felt like they were caught in a massive cloud of mosquitoes. Then they were no more.

The tremors dissipated, leaving only the sound of rainfall around them, deafening and all-encompassing. Hitsugaya slowly removed his hands from his ears, sheathing his sword. He looked around for any potential casualties, and was relieved to find none. Karin's friends were long gone now, too.

Matsumoto leaped to the ground next to him. She looked exhausted, covered in mud, clothes battle-worn. She lifted her eyes up to the storm clouds, squinting through the rain pelting her face. "That's not Hyōrinmaru," she said, sounding more like a question than a statement.

"No," Hitsugaya said, and walked over to where Yuzu was still standing. She had sheathed her sword, as well, and the look on her face was exactly the same as the one he'd seen on Karin the first day she'd turned back from her cat form. Guilty. Repentant. She shared a striking similarity with her sister like this.

Hitsugaya stopped in front of her, mouth pressed into a hard line. "What the hell did you just do?" he demanded quietly.

"It's Higanbana Kōgō's special ability," Yuzu said, her voice containing a slight tremor. "Everything in this world has its own resonant frequency. It's the number of time something vibrates per second. Objects, animals, people. If my sword clashes enough times with an enemy, Higanbana Kōgō can pick out the frequency at which a particular sword or creature vibrates, and she matches it. She creates an acoustic resonance that causes the object to vibrate so violently that it breaks. Or explodes, I guess."

"Can it break a sword?" Hitsugaya said.

"I haven't tried yet," Yuzu said. "But I think the answer is yes."

To Hitsugaya's surprise, he felt a chill run up his spine. He didn't think Yuzu's response would frighten him, but unlike most of the Gotei 13, Hitsugaya knew what it meant to have your Zanpakutō break. He was lucky. His bankai had come back to him; his sword's elemental ability meant that its reach was unlimited, so long as there was water in the air. But others were not so lucky. If Yuzu were to use that ability against somebody who had released their bankai…

 _Every time she wins a duel or perfects a Kidō spell, I can see her heart's not in it. She's a pacifist._

"You haven't told her," Hitsugaya said.

Tears filled her eyes within moments. "Please don't say anything to her," Yuzu said, voice trembling. "If you'd…oh, Hitsugaya-kun. I'm so worried for her. She won't say it, but I can see it in her face, she's…I couldn't bring myself to tell her. Please, you have to help me."

"Help you?" Hitsugaya said, taken aback.

"She's getting worse," Yuzu said quietly, looking at the ground. "For a while, after we met Yoruichi-san, it was okay. She was learning to control it, and all the rainfall stopped, so we thought the worst of it was over. But the more powerful she becomes, the more her Zanpakutō acts out. And…I think it makes her feel lonelier, in a way. She still can't hear its voice, so it feels more like she's fighting it. And now she's not talking to me about her progress, or training in the same room as me anymore. I don't know what else to do to help her."

By now Yoruichi and Matsumoto had joined them, listening from a few feet away. Yoruichi stepped forward. "I guess it'd be wishful thinking to assume you'll keep this from the Captain-Commander," she said.

"Yes," Hitsugaya said. "But there's a lot to unpack here. Right now it seems like the most important thing that needs dealing with," he motioned to the rain, "is this."

"She'll flood the town, if this keeps up," Matsumoto said quietly. "The river is already twenty centimetres above what it's supposed to be."

" _Twenty?_ " Yuzu said, horrified. "Already?"

"Then let's not dally here," Hitsugaya said. "Shihōin, stay here until reinforcements arrive. Matsumoto, give Urahara a rundown of what's happened and call in for more men. And find out how much he knew about this beforehand."

"What about the students? What if someone was injured?" Yuzu burst out. "And what do we do about the river?"

"We can't do anything about any of those things, except for getting your sister under control. If she doesn't, I can't assure she'll remain in the World of Living safely. Or you and Urahara, for that matter," Hitsugaya said, looking at Yoruichi.

"Care to give me any more suggestions to deal with this?" Yoruichi said dryly, echoing Hitsugaya's words from earlier.

Hitsugaya ignored this. "Let's go, Kurosaki," he said, walking off to see whether Yuzu would follow.

Above them, the rain continued to fall.

-.-.-.-

He didn't think it was possible, but by the time they got back to the Kurosaki house, he felt worse. A thousand times worse. He was drenched, sore, exhausted, and had a migraine forming behind his right eye. And none of that was the worst of it.

Isshin and Karin were both in the living room when he and Yuzu stepped inside. Karin was sitting on the couch, bent over with hands clenched tightly over her knees, but she looked up at once when she heard the door. A mix of relief and fury washed over her face.

"Karin-chan," Yuzu said, making a beeline for her sister. Karin rose from the couch, opening her mouth as if to say something, but was promptly cut off as Yuzu threw her arms around her shoulders, effectively drenching her sister immediately.

"Are you okay?" Yuzu asked, words muffled slightly.

"Me?" Karin pulled her sister back, examining her expression. "What about you? Where did you go? What the hell happened out there?"

Yuzu didn't answer. Karin looked over Yuzu's shoulder at Hitsugaya. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Another Garganta. It's…close to the school. A few people were injured, but not seriously. We're sending a security detail to watch over it as we speak."

"Another one? How could you just leave like that?" Karin asked, speaking to Yuzu again. "If the guy who hurt Tōshirō had still been there—"

"Karin." Isshin placed a hand on Karin's shoulder. He turned to look at Hitsugaya. "The situation is under control?"

"I suppose strictly speaking, yes," Hitsugaya said wearily.

Isshin nodded. "See, Karin? Tōshirō's resourceful. He wouldn't have let anything happen to your sister if he was there. You can trust him, right?"

"That's not the point," Karin bit out. She shook off her father's hand. "Whatever. I'm going to my room."

"Karin-chan," Yuzu called, but Karin was already out of the living room, walking towards the staircase with tense shoulders. Yuzu threw a helpless look at Hitsugaya. Hitsugaya knew what it meant, but sincerely wished in that moment that he didn't. He sighed, then reluctantly moved to follow Karin upstairs.

The door to the twins' bedroom was still open when he got there. The girls had split their space directly down the middle, each side containing a desk at the foot of a twin-sized bed. Distinguishing the two was not hard; three different stuffed animals lay atop of the pillows on the left side, the desks each showcasing a distinct personality marked by the disarray of textbooks and homework—or lack thereof—on top of them. An overflowing laundry basket lay almost hidden in the crook behind the door. More stuffed toys and a few Gundam figures kept watch on the windowsill.

Karin must've heard him approach, or otherwise sensed that she was no longer alone. She glanced up, at his sopping clothes. "You should shower, or you'll catch a cold," she said. Flat and instructive.

"I don't really catch colds that way. Already told your sister that."

"Well, you'll experience your first one real soon, then."

"You're angry."

Karin stiffened slightly, but she kept her expression blank. "Did you also want to imply that I have no right to be?"

"I doubt that's what your father was getting at."

"You're not his daughter."

Fair point. "I'm not trying to imply anything."

Karin straightened up from where she was laying out extra blankets on Yuzu's bed, and scrutinized him, as though she didn't know whether or not to believe him. The words _do you want to talk about it_ hovered on Hitsugaya's tongue, but he swallowed them quickly. They felt clumsy, wrong.

"I took a guess," Hitsugaya said, and motioned out the window, at the rain still falling outside. "Shihōin told me about it a little bit."

" _Great_ ," Karin said, completely sardonic. "That is just what I needed. One more person who can always tell when I'm stressed the fuck out."

"That's not…my intention." This was hard. No wonder Yuzu was having trouble. "Am I intruding?"

"No," she said curtly, but her expression told a different story. "Sorry. I'm just tired."

She looked tired. Her skin appeared duller than usual, and there were dark circles hanging underneath her eyes. She'd tied her hair up apparently without brushing it first, so that it looked more like a piece of matted cat fur was sitting on the crown of her head.

"There's no need to push yourself so hard," Hitsugaya said. "I heard you getting in late last night. If you go for that long without proper rest—"

"Easy for you to say," Karin snapped. "Urahara told me about how you became a captain. You graduated your Shinigami school while you were a fucking ten year-old, or whatever the equivalent of that is in your world. He says everyone calls you a genius, a natural talent. Do you always lecture people who are slower than you? Do you tell all of them that they're liabilities too?"

Hitsugaya felt a stab of guilt in his chest. "That's not—"

"I don't have the kind of time that you've got either. How many human years did it take for you to become a captain? Forty? Fifty? I need to get my shit together _now_ ," Karin said, angrily pointing at the window, "because that? That doesn't stop just because I want it to. I'm not even strong enough to do that much right. I'm not a prodigy like you are, and I don't have a long lifespan like you do. So don't tell me to get proper rest like it's easy, like I don't lie awake at night anyway thinking that my powers bring more harm than help to the people I love and the people of this town. Now get out."

Hitsugaya stared at her, taken aback. Karin had never had such a short fuse with him before. He wasn't sure if she'd ever shown such a short fuse with anybody. "Kurosaki…"

"I said _go_ ," Karin said, standing up, and Hitsugaya quickly took the few steps back that were required for him to leave the room and for Karin to slam the door in his face.

Hitsugaya stood in the hallway, speechless. The whole conversation had escalated faster than he'd been able to keep up with. He heard a creak, and turned to find Yuzu hovering at the top of the stairs, looking at him with concern.

"How did it go?" she whispered.

Hitsugaya didn't answer, looking away. He heard Yuzu call after him, but he didn't respond, retreating his room and shutting the door behind him before allowing himself to sigh heavily. To his surprise, the guilt still sat heavy in his stomach, Karin's accusatory tone echoing in his ears.

"I don't get paid enough for this," Hitsugaya muttered.

The sky outside clapped with thunder in response.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

guess who finally settled for a normal title haHA

I've had the large majority of this chapter planned for a really long time, but I kept putting it off because I was never satisfied with Yuzu's powers, which I knew a lot of people were asking about/looking forward to. I was finally able to give her something that I felt would be significant to her character (ie her goals, her dreams, her fears), so a big thank you to everybody who waited patiently for this.

Yuzu's Zanpakuto is spelled 彼岸花皇后 (Red Spider Lily Empress). In Japan, the red spider lily is used to signify lost memory, abandonment, or never meeting someone again.

Thanks again for reading!


	16. Chapter 16

**a/n at the end of the chapter!**

* * *

The school, inevitably, had closed down the day that the Garganta had opened, and the day after as well. It was hard to ignore the amount of damage that had been done to the property, and the sheer amount of craters in the dirt was enough to warrant an investigation from local authorities. Hitsugaya, meanwhile, began to feel a little stir-crazy. The endless developments in the enemy's movements left him worn out and unhappy, unable to act except to observe, or to report, or to convene with Urahara about what he had observed and reported.

Sometime around noon the day after, the front doorbell rang—the house door, not the clinic door. Everyone else was either missing or preoccupied, and at Yuzu's request, Hitsugaya got up from watching the weather report in the living room and answered the door.

From beneath his wide, clear umbrella, the look on Eiji's face upon seeing who was there mirrored Hitsugaya's own shock. "Hitsugaya?" Eiji said. "What are you doing here?"

Shit. He'd forgotten. None of Karin's friends knew he was staying at the Kurosaki house. He had no reason to be here.

"I—I came to pick up a prescription for my grandmother," Hitsugaya responded.

"I don't think they fill out prescriptions here."

"No, you're right. I meant I needed them to sign for a refill for me."

Eiji stared at him, and Hitsugaya tried to decide whether inviting him inside would only make his lie appear even flimsier.

Karin emerged from the kitchen then, which came as a surprise to Hitsugaya. She'd spent most of the morning barricaded inside her room; this was the first he'd seen her today. "Eiji?" she said, looking alarmed.

"Karin." Eiji stopped waiting for an invitation then, and stepped around Hitsugaya, hastily removing his shoes and setting his wet umbrella in the rack behind the door. He made a beeline for her, and placed both hands on her shoulders.

"Are you alright?" Eiji said, eyes full of nothing but concern, examining her closely.

"Yeah, I am," Karin said, moved by his intensity. "What's going on? Is everything okay?"

"We barely heard from you yesterday. After everything that happened yesterday—and Nomura getting hurt—I just thought…"

"Yeah, I'm alright. I was still at home when all of that happened. I'm sorry. I guess I was just busy helping my dad out in the clinic."

Eiji stayed quiet. Karin's gaze softened, and she reached up to cover one of Eiji's hands with her own.

"I'm fine," she said gently. "Really."

Hitsugaya felt an unexpected wave of nausea rise up from the pit of his belly until it sat heavy in his throat like a stone. The exchange felt too private, too intimate for him to be watching, and his own reaction to their interlocked gazes made him even uneasier. Without saying anything he quickly slipped out of the foyer and pretended like he needed something from inside the clinic.

He hid out there for a while—after all, he couldn't just waltz upstairs or around the house with Eiji watching—until he heard the front door opening and shutting again. He peeked out cautiously. Eiji was gone; Karin was already halfway up the stairs, on her way to shut herself back inside her room.

Hitsugaya shuffled back into the living room and took back his place on the couch, and found the ice had completely melted in his half-empty glass of orange juice. The weather network was still covering the extensive rainfall and the damage that was beginning to emerge around the town as a result. "We're now approaching record precipitation levels," a woman in a yellow poncho reported, "as we surpass 250mm of rainfall, the most we've had since July 2015."

Hitsugaya strained his hearing. There was no more movement from upstairs.

-.-.-.-

 _Join me on LINE, the all-in-one communication app! /ti/p/ex8dZLGKYC_

 _ **bustawzrd_**_ _invited you to a group._

 _ **Tōshirō**_ _joined the group._

 **bustawzrd** _: omg he actually did it

 **bustawzrd_** : toshiro my man

 **lvl1magikarp** : Heita I told you to leave him alone

 **Tōshirō** : who are you people

 **bustawzrd_** : it's heita dude lol

 **bustawzrd_** : and kei and kazuya

 **Tōshirō** : then why does your name look like that

 **bustawzrd_** : it's just a display name don't worry about it

 **kazoooya** : Hi Hitsugaya-kun!

 **kazoooya** : I'm surprised to see you downloaded the app in one piece but I'm very proud of you

 **bustawzrd** _: he's learning lmaoo

 **Tōshirō** : how do I stop it

 **Tōshirō** : I don't want any more messages from you

 **bustawzrd** : OUCH DUDE

 **lvl1magikarp** : rip

 **Tōshirō** : rip what

 **Tōshirō** : I can't tell who's who

 **kazoooya** : He means RIP, as in Rest In Peace

 **lvl1magikarp** : Heita look what you've done

 **bustawzrd** _: ME wtf?

 **Tōshirō** : I don't understand

 **lvl1magikarp** : wtf = what the fuck

 **Tōshirō** : enough

 **Tōshirō** : no more of those either

 **bustawzrd_** : he's getting mad lolololol

 **kazoooya** : Sorry Hitsugaya-kun! We're not doing this to annoy you

 **bustawzrd** _: actually yeah now that we're on the topic

 **bustawzrd** _: we wanted to ask if you knew whether kurosaki and eiji had a fight or something but we didn't know how to talk to you privately without looking sketchy

 **Tōshirō:** they can't see these messages?

 **lvl1magikarp** : no they'd have to be a part of this group chat to see them. also I want to be clear that this was not my idea and I tried to tell Heita not to do it

 **Tōshirō:** is that you uehara

 **Tōshirō:** I believe you

 **bustawzrd_** : w o w

 **kazoooya** : Sorry this is kind of uncouth Hitsugaya-kun. Even if you don't know what happened we figured we'd try asking anyway

 **Tōshirō:** I didn't hear anything about them fighting if that's what you're asking

 **Tōshirō:** I think if you want to know what happened you should ask them directly and not other people

 **lvl1magikarp** : is that not exactly what I said at the start

 **bustawzrd_** : OKAY but like when do you guys ever remember those two fighting?

 **bustawzrd_** : fucking never is the answer

 **bustawzrd_** : this could be serious

 **Tōshirō** : I'm telling you they didn't fight

 **Tōshirō** : if you're scheming something I don't want to be part of it

 **Tōshirō** : let me leave

 **kazoooya** : Does anyone know where she's been going after school?

 **kazoooya** : I had to go to the library today to work on the history paper and she wasn't there. I don't think she's been at the library at all?

 **lvl1magikarp** : no

 **bustawzrd_** : wait actually?

 **bustawzrd_** : toshiro did you know about this?

 **Tōshirō:** I told you I don't know anything. All I know is that she's out studying past midnight these days

 **kazoooya** : She is?

 **bustawzrd_** : excuse me what

 **bustawzrd_** : how do you know that

 **bustawzrd_** : hello?

 **bustawzrd_** : toshiro? ? ?

 **bustawzrd_** : toshiro come back here right now

 **Tōshirō** : her sister told me

 **bustawzrd** _: YOURE SUCH A FUCKING LIAR

 **bustawzrd** _: YOU WERE THINKING OF AN EXCUSE JUST NOW WERENT YOU

 **lvl1magikarp** : never mind how he knows. more importantly, that sounds kind of dangerous if she's travelling alone at night

 **lvl1magikarp** : is there any way you can talk to her Hitsugaya? at least about going home at a decent hour

 **Tōshirō** : I don't know how you expect me to be able to talk to her about anything but I guess I can try

 **kazoooya** : Please do! It's okay if she wants to be alone for a while but it's not safe for her to be going somewhere after dark by herself

 **Tōshirō** : is that all

 **Tōshirō** : let me leave now

 **bustawzrd** _: no

 **bustawzrd_** : youre our prisoner now. you dont get to leave

 **lvl1magikarp** : I'll show you how to uninstall the app tomorrow

 **bustawzrd_** : NO

-.-.-.-

It wasn't until Friday had rolled around that Hitsugaya finally worked up the nerve to do as he'd been instructed. As it was, it was difficult to find Karin alone. The fact that she shared a room with her sister made it impossible to approach her while they were at home, and it seemed like Eiji's unexpected visit to the house hadn't changed the status of his situation with Karin; when school had resumed on Thursday, with most of the courtyard still roped off with police tape, Karin and Eiji still addressed each other with that weird unmitigable politeness they used in front of other people.

But tonight Yuzu was sleeping over at a friend's house, and Isshin, by some weird stroke of luck, had left early that evening to complete a house call. Karin hadn't left for Urahara's yet, keeping up with her recent habit of completing her homework before dinner, and so Hitsugaya used the opportunity to knock tentatively at her door.

"Yeah?" came the hoarse response.

Hitsugaya opened the door. Karin turned around in her desk chair to face him, expression sour. "What is it?" she demanded.

"I came to talk," Hitsugaya said hesitantly. "When we last spoke I offended you, and that was not my intention. I won't pretend like I understand what's going on with you, because you were right about our circumstances being different. But I do think you're going through something similar to what I experienced, and I wanted to…"

Hitsugaya trailed off. Something was wrong. Karin was sweating, more than one might expect to sweat on a summer's day, even though she was dressed in shorts and the room was at a cool 22°. Her skin was flushed, and she was breathing in audible, shallow breaths, as if she was trying to suck in air through a straw.

"Kurosaki?" Hitsugaya said, when Karin only stared at him with glassy eyes. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm fine," Karin said tersely. "You were in the middle of something. Finish it up so I can get back to my homework."

"Quit messing around. Something's wrong."

"Look," Karin said, rising from her chair with anger, "if you think you can just walk in here and—"

She collapsed where she stood.

"Hey!" Hitsugaya rushed forward in alarm, kneeling in front of her and grabbing her bare arms. Her skin was burning. "Seven hells."

"It's not that bad," Karin said weakly, but her posture slumped in Hitsugaya's grip. She knew she'd been defeated.

"Come on, get up," Hitsugaya said, helping her up and towards her bed. He stared at her helplessly as he pulled the covers out from under her legs and over her body. He'd never looked after someone with a fever before. "Is there medicine I can give you?"

"In the clinic. Back of the room, top left hand cabinet." She described the box for him.

Hitsugaya retrieved it, along with a bowl of cold water and a small towel. It was about the only thing he did know how to do in this situation. By now Karin's fierce objection to his presence had died away, and she silently took the medicine and allowed him to place the damp towel on her forehead.

"Are you hungry?" Hitsugaya asked, pulling Karin's desk chair up to her bedside.

"No. Not right now."

For a moment Hitsugaya sat in silence, listening to Karin's soft, laboured breathing. He felt his hands curling into fists over his knees. "Idiot," he said. "This is why I told you not to push yourself."

Karin looked at him, with that same vacant, cloudy stare. "Are you upset with me?"

"Of course I am," Hitsugaya said harshly. "You're not a child. You should know nothing comes out of working yourself into your sickbed."

"Well," Karin leaned her head back and closed her eyes, "you wouldn't be the first person who's disappointed in me. Guess it doesn't make much difference if I include one more person now."

Hitsugaya deflated at once. "I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have called you a liability."

To Hitsugaya's astonishment and panic, Karin's eyes suddenly filled with tears. "I can't do anything right," she said, reaching up and pressing hard into her eyes with her hands, as if trying to shove the tears back into her head. "I can't hear my Zanpakutō's name. No matter how hard I try…I train for hours and hours, and I meditate, and I'm still not strong enough to defeat her. I can see her, in my mind, but she doesn't talk to me. I still can't face her as an equal. Meanwhile this rain won't fucking stop, no matter how much I try to calm myself down, it just keeps falling, and now people's basements are flooding while I'm lying in bed just—"

"Hey," Hitsugaya said, reaching out and placing a hand on her wrist, because at this rate it looked like Karin was going to crush her eyeballs in their sockets. He guided her arms down until they were lying at her sides. "Slow down. One thing at a time." He waited for Karin to look at him. "I was the same as you, once. When I was young, I used to wake up and my grandmother would be half-covered in frostbite."

"Oh," Karin said, her mouth making a little _o_ shape. At first Hitsugaya thought she was surprised because his story wasn't in line with the "godly baby prodigy" image she apparently had of him, but then she said, "I didn't realize you—I mean, this is going to sound stupid, but I didn't picture you having a grandmother."

Hitsugaya pictured her, her tiny face and her gnarled hands, her patient smile, her bare, empty house the day he left for the Shinigami Academy.

"Yeah," Hitsugaya said. "She was the only one who was willing to take me in. We don't remember our families when we die," he explained, at Karin's confused expression. "Most of the residents in Soul Society group up into surrogate families."

"So…you were human once?"

"Not me. But Ba-chan was. I guess she didn't find it strange that I had white hair. Everyone else…" Hitsugaya stopped, realizing how off topic they'd gotten, how much he had just told her, and his neck flushed with embarrassment. "I'd have dreams, too. I could see Hyōrinmaru, but whenever he tried to say his name, the sound of the wind howling would carry his voice away. It was like that for a while."

"So…it's normal?" Karin asked. "This thing that's happening to me?"

"Yes. Many people have trouble hearing their Zanpakutō's name. I've known many good men who trained for decades before they ever got to hear it. Everyone's progress is different, and you should know that yours is still going faster than normal."

Karin fell silent, the information slowly sinking in. Without warning, she reached for Hitsugaya's hand, where it had come to rest after he'd pulled her hands away from her face, and curled her fingers around his own. An unexpected feeling suddenly bloomed in Hitsugaya's chest, an emotion he didn't recognize; not the same as before, when he'd seen how Eiji looked at Karin, not unpleasant, but it packed the same punch that made it momentarily difficult to breathe.

"What do I do?" Karin asked, her anxiety laid completely bare for him to see.

"You keep trying," Hitsugaya said. "Whoever your Zanpakutō is, whatever her name is, don't give up on her. With all the stress you've piled on yourself, I wouldn't be surprised if she's holding back or lashing out for some reason. But you'll figure it out. She's a part of you. You haven't realized it yet, but you already know who she is."

Karin chewed on her lower lip. "Do you think…is it possible for a Zanpakutō to hate its owner?"

"What makes you say that?"

Karin turned her head away, so that she was looking at the opposite wall. "I told…" She faltered, swallowed hard. "I told Eiji I couldn't return his feelings."

Hitsugaya's heartbeat stuttered.

"I feel like shit." Her voice wavered. "He's been one of my best friends since kindergarten. He constantly looks out for me. And yet I couldn't find it in myself to like him back, to try and give him something after everything he's done for me. I couldn't even tell him I'd give it a try. What kind of person does that make me? What if my Zanpakutō hates me for not trying harder?"

"It's not your responsibility to return his feelings," Hitsugaya said firmly. "Even I know that much. You don't owe him anything in that regard. You said he's your best friend, and that means you should be honest with him about your feelings. You shouldn't feel guilty. People don't fall in love on demand. It's not something we can control."

"That's fucking stupid and I hate it."

"I'm sure you're not the first person to share that sentiment."

Karin sniffed, still not looking at him. "Did I ruin our friendship?"

"That's probably up to you. If you act guilty around him all the time, he's going to notice. But if you make the effort to continue being good friends, then he'll do the same. And Furukawa doesn't seem like the type to hold a grudge over something like this."

"He isn't. Guy's more mature than the rest of us combined."

"Then you'll be fine."

It took her another minute to regain her composure, but eventually her gaze settled on him again. "Thanks for letting me blubber all over you. I didn't really mean to say all that, but…"

"It's fine," Hitsugaya said gently. Karin's palm was hot and sweaty, but he didn't let go of her hand. "I'm sorry for lashing out at you. I shouldn't be yelling at a sick person."

"I deserved it. I was being an asshole." Karin's thumb briefly brushed over the back of his hand, causing a shiver to run up his arm. "And I like your white hair. If that makes any difference."

Time to change the subject. "When exactly did you speak to Furukawa, anyway?"

"Yesterday, after school. It didn't really feel like I could push it for much longer than that."

"And you told him you didn't share his feelings? Just like that?"

Karin didn't answer for so long that if it weren't for the fact that her eyes were open, Hitsugaya would've thought that she fell asleep. He began to wonder instead if maybe she hadn't heard him, or misheard him, or who knows what.

She said, finally, "I told him there was someone else."

"Oh," Hitsugaya said. He felt the blood rushing into his ears. "Oh."

"You okay?"

"Yeah. You…you sure you don't want to eat?"

"No, but I could use a glass of water, if it's not too much trouble."

"Stay here," Hitsugaya said, as if Karin needed telling or else she'd leap out the window once he left. He got up on unsteady legs.

The blood was still pounding in his ears as he grabbed a cup from the kitchen and filled it up with the filtered water from the fridge, his brain barely able to register feeling the glass in his palm or the cold air that momentarily wrapped around his ankles. By the time he'd returned with the drink, Karin had fallen asleep, mouth open, snoring softly.

He left the glass on her nightstand and turned off her bedroom light, and for the rest of the night he sat in his room, reading a fantasy series Karin had loaned him, trying not to think about her hand in his own or the sensation in his spine or her faint _I like your white hair_ ringing in the back of his brain.

-.-.-.-

The next day, the rain stopped.

Hitsugaya stared at the sun, utterly dumbfounded, for a whole ten minutes. Karin was still bedridden, her fever hovering at around 38.7°C, and she'd gotten an earful from both Isshin and Yuzu for apparently not taking a hot shower after walking home in the rain like she'd been told to do a week ago. But the rain had stopped. The sidewalks were dry for the first time in seven days, and even though the drainage system was still flooded and the river was still rushing with a nasty ferocity, the oppressive touch of the sun's rays burned against Hitsugaya's skin once again.

"What the fuck did you do?" Jinta blurted out upon seeing Hitsugaya at Urahara's shop, voicing out the expression on everyone else's face.

"I didn't do anything," Hitsugaya snapped. "She was just under a lot of pressure. She's fine now that she voiced her concerns out loud."

"Well, it's certainly nothing to complain about," Urahara said cheerfully, as he bagged Hitsugaya's order of Hollow repellents. "I was getting quite worried for a while there. I wasn't able to get through to her at all, but I'm glad to hear things worked themselves out."

"I still don't trust it," Jinta scowled. "You must've done something to her."

"I told you I didn't do anything! And what are you smiling for?" Hitsugaya said, whirling on Matsumoto, who was sitting in a corner and fanning herself with an irritatingly smug look on her face.

"Nothing. I don't want to upset you."

"Will you all stop talking like that!"

"Here you go!" Urahara sang loudly, thrusting the bag into Hitsugaya's hands before they could continue. "I threw in some old-fashioned ginger candies on the house. Tell Kurosaki-san we hope she recovers soon."

"I'll pass it along. Thanks. And you," he pointed at Matsumoto, "go and check on the school. Make yourself useful."

Matsumoto began to wail in protest, but Hitsugaya quickly blocked it out, a skill he had developed well over the years. He glanced at the calendar hanging on the shop wall as he made his way out.

Summer vacation was a week from now.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

me: *desperately writes as much as I can before another Major Life Event drags me back into the abyss*

lowkey mad ffn wont let me spam punctuation for the messaging scene


	17. Chapter 17

"Hey," Heita said. "Hey, Tōshirō. Are you listening to me?"

Hitsugaya wasn't. He stared out the window, completely absorbed by the Garganta hanging just beyond it, an ugly black mouth painted against a stark blue sky. It was beyond distracting. A small squad from Special Forces stood guard around it; by now, another would be in Hueco Mundo, cutting down Hollows before they ever got the chance to leap through their gateway. But they were not Hitsugaya's men, and it felt somewhat similar to tasking your friend with looking after your pets and your potted plants while you were on vacation. They were probably capable enough, but the guarantee that it would be done properly was simply not there.

"What do you want?" Hitsugaya said blandly, not looking away from the window.

"I was trying to tell you not to make plans next Tuesday so that we could go to the beach, asshole, but I'm not so sure I to invite you anymore."

"Good," Hitsugaya snapped, narrowing his eyes at Heita. "I don't want to go."

Heita cried, "Why do you hate me?"

"Don't go get so sore. He'll be there," Karin said, and Hitsugaya suppressed a groan.

She was doing a lot better than she'd been on Friday. She was almost completely over her flu now, except for a few sniffles here and there. But for those first few days, when she laid trembling and sweating and plagued with body aches, Hitsugaya had felt sorry for her. He hung around under the guise of helping her finish her homework and making sure she drank enough water, and kept her company in this way. She hadn't tried to hold his hand again.

"Although, if I were you, I'd be worrying about whether or not you're going to pass the chemistry test," Karin was saying, bringing Hitsugaya back to the conversation.

"Oh, I'm not worried about that. You still owe us for ditching club last week. Tonight it's gonna be the six of us at your place, Kurosaki, and I'm not leaving until I know what the fuck the formula for magnesium trioxide is."

Hitsugaya gave Karin a sharp glance at this, but she didn't seem to notice. If they came over, at the end of the night Hitsugaya would have to either leave with them and walk around in circles pretending to go home, or stay and explain why he wasn't going home at all.

"Where do you come from inviting yourself to my house?" Karin said, irritated and oblivious.

"I don't mind hosting tonight, as long as we're studying," Eiji said then. He'd noticed the expression on Hitsugaya's face; what he'd taken from it was a mystery, but he'd spoken up all the same, and for that Hitsugaya was relieved.

"You sure?" Kazuya asked, over Heita's excited whoop. "Won't we be bothering your mom?"

"She moved her office to the first floor. And I don't see how you can make a ruckus over covalent bonds, so we should be fine if we study in my room."

Kei shifted where he was leaning against the desk in front of Hitsugaya's. It drew Hitsugaya's attention for a moment, and he realized then, looking at him, that Kei wasn't listening to their conversation at all. His arms hung stiffly at his sides, his hands balled into loose fits. He was staring out the window, dark eyes intense with concentration, face still as stone. It only took a moment of following his line of sight to understand where his eyes were focused.

"Uehara?" Hitsugaya said carefully.

Kei looked away from the window, and before his expression relaxed, the full brunt of his stare hit Hitsugaya in the face, piercing and troubled.

"Sorry," Kei said after a moment. "Did you say something?"

Hitsugaya stared.

"What the hell is everyone looking at?" Heita interjected, suddenly appearing to lean over Hitsugaya's desk and squint out the window. "You, Tōshirō, Karin. I'm half expecting to find Ironman floating out there."

"You missed it," Karin said, doodling in the corner of her notebook. "There's a bird with three legs that's got a nest nearby. The third one isn't fully formed, so it just hangs in between his normal ones like a little pink dick."

"You are a disgusting liar."

"Yoo-hoo!"

Haruki was at the threshold of their classroom again, waving in wide arcs that seemed unnecessary this early in the morning. Hitsugaya scowled instinctively. Haruki still had a patch of gauze taped to his left temple, but other than that, he was as chipper and zealous as ever.

"Good, you're all here," Haruki said brightly. "I just wanted to give my thanks for your help in escorting me to the hospital last week. The doctor says I suffered a mild concussion, although it's quite unsettling not being able to remember how that came about."

"It's alright," Kazuya said. "We're just glad to see you're doing okay. Did they tell you how long it would take to fully recover?"

"Oh, it depends on the individual, which means there's no real way to know, unfortunately. But I've always had a rather sturdy constitution, so I imagine I'll be back to my usual self by the end of the break."

Haruki looked at Karin, smiling radiantly. "I'm especially glad to hear you were far away when the accident occurred," he said. "It was quite awful, and I'd hate to see you get hurt."

"I don't go down so easily," Karin replied. "But thanks for saying that."

"Of course," Haruki said, and quickly caught one of Karin's hands in both of his own. He leaned forward, adding emphatically, "I hope you'll let me be the first to know if anything happens."

Karin blinked, her expression going blank as Haruki let go of her hand. She looked at him for a long time, as if suddenly filled with a hundred questions she wanted to ask him. Haruki didn't seem to notice; he waved goodbye and hooted a loud "See you later!" as he left to find his own classroom.

"Kurosaki?" Hitsugaya said, when Karin continued to stare at the doorway where Haruki exited. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Karin said, in a kind of slow voice, like her thoughts were running faster than her words. "It's nothing, I don't think."

"What do you mean?" Hitsugaya asked, but then their homeroom teacher walked in, and the conversation was dropped.

-.-.-.-

For Hitsugaya, the last few days of school before summer break passed without relative incident. It seemed that things were going back to the way they were. Construction workers were filling up the potholes on the school grounds; Heita failed his chemistry test; Karin and Eiji were talking to each other like normal human beings again. This last detail puzzled Hitsugaya, and he began to wonder if Karin made up that story about liking someone else. For someone who had been so ardent on setting the record straight with Hitsugaya before confessing, Eiji seemed to have taken his rejection in stride. If the idea of Karin having a crush on someone else bothered him, it never showed. Perhaps it was Karin's general lack of interest in their other classmates, or the fact that she never behaved oddly or shyly in front of the boys from their school. Eventually Hitsugaya figured that he'd been too wrapped up in his own head to realize that Karin was letting him in on her farce that day.

Still, even without tears in the universe breaking out all over town, a different set of problems arose. For starters, it became clear after watching Kei stare out the window for two days in a row that he could see the Garganta. Maybe not see it completely, but he knew something was there; he'd grown tense and quiet, as much as he tried to pretend like nothing was wrong. He brought it up with Karin on the evening of the third day, as they sat together on the floor of Hitsugaya's room after dinner, splitting a melon-flavoured ice-pop. Isshin and Yuzu were watching Don Kanonji downstairs.

"I don't understand," Karin said, after Hitsugaya finished explaining. Her ice pop sat forgotten in her hand, the treat turning into watery, sugary mush inside of its tube. "How…how can that be possible?"

"It's happened before," Hitsugaya said. "In fact, you've seen it happen with your brother's friend. Yasutora Sado. I remember reading about it in Kuchiki's report."

"Are you talking about that time he saved my ass in that park all those years ago? You're saying I did that?"

"No, that time it was your brother. But my point is that this isn't a freak occurrence by any means. Considering how much your reiatsu was leaking over the past week, I'm not surprised to see this happening to Uehara. He's been staring right at the Garganta all day today and yesterday. There's no mistaking he can sense something."

"But that still doesn't make any sense. You're saying…for this to have happened, Kei already…?"

"Had spiritual powers? He must've. Being around someone like you doesn't just create powers in someone. If he can sense these things—Garganta, Hollows, Shinigami—it just means that they've been dormant inside of him until now. It's to be expected, considering the town is sitting right on top of the jūreichi. A large portion of the population here is like Uehara. The difference is just that most people live their lives without ever knowing what they could've awakened."

Karin chewed hard on the plastic of her ice pop, troubled.

"You know why I'm telling you this, right?"

"Because it's not for me to decide whether or not he gets to know. You're going to tell him anyway."

"I don't know about that yet. It depends on the extent of his powers. We'll have to keep an eye on him for the next little while."

"I can't stand this," Karin said, throwing away the empty tube angrily. "I can't stand not being able to control how my powers affect people. I didn't want my friends mixed up in this."

"I know," Hitsugaya said, placating. "But it could be substantially worse. If we work on controlling your reiatsu, then we can probably keep it from escalating."

Karin glanced up as Hitsugaya said "we," but didn't comment on it.

"Listen," Hitsugaya said, "a few days ago, when Nomura came by our classroom…"

"Wait," Karin said abruptly. "There's been something I've been meaning to ask you."

"Yeah?"

"You remember that little snowman thing that you made for that kid a few years ago? The ghost that wanted to see snow."

"The Plus from Grandma Haru's?" Hitsugaya looked at her curiously. "What about it?"

"Can you make me one?"

"…What?"

"I'm being serious," Karin said impatiently. "There's something I've been meaning to try. Will you just do it for me? Please?"

Hitsugaya wondered if there was a point in trying to argue about the abuse of his powers. He'd never admit it, but these days, he was giving in to her whim more and more often, giving her the mile when he'd never let anyone else have an inch. Soft, some people would call it. Grateful to be staying somewhere with air conditioning was more like it.

"Alright," Hitsugaya said finally. He cupped his hands together so that there was a pocket of air between them and concentrated. When he opened them, a little crystalline snowman sat on his palms, its hexagonal faces uniform and symmetrical.

"Wow. It looks just like the last one," Karin said, taking it into her own palms and examining it with fascination. "Can you make one that doesn't melt?"

"You should've said so in the beginning if that's what you wanted."

"No, not for—never mind."

Hitsugaya watched as Karin adjusted herself into a cross-legged position, letting her hands settle in her lap. She closed her eyes as if preparing to meditate. Her hands must've been cold; the skin of her palms was already a bright, tender red from holding the snowman. Hitsugaya looked at her, at her ugly oversized band t-shirt and knee-length leggings, at the pimple forming along the curve of her jaw, at the strands of hair that weren't long enough for her ponytail lying soft against her neck, and without warning he felt the warmth of his blood pooling under his cheeks.

He was so caught up in it that for a moment he almost missed it. The snowman suddenly shone a bright blue, its form contorting and losing its shape, and Hitsugaya realized that she was converting it back into spiritual matter, into _reishi_. Slowly, it began to seep into her palms, disappearing like melting snow as Karin absorbed it into her own body. Hitsugaya could only stare, shocked, watching as the reishi disappeared little by little until there was no blue light left inside of her hands.

Then Karin flinched back violently, eyes flying open.

"What the hell was that?" Hitsugaya said, and then saw, belatedly, that Karin was staring at him with a look that left him feeling cold and exposed. He watched as she suddenly got up, and uneasiness pierced him like a knife. "Kurosaki? What did you just do?"

"I'm sorry," Karin croaked. She was frightened of him. Hitsugaya knew the look. He's seen it hundreds of times before—from the spirits who lived in his district in Rukongai, in the faces of his classmates at the Shinigami Academy, from the shopkeepers, his neighbours, his teachers.

"I shouldn't have done that," Karin was saying. Her voice was desperate, ashamed. "I—I'm so sorry."

"Done what?" Hitsugaya heard himself demanding. "Kurosaki, what did you _do?_ "

But Karin could only keep spewing apologies at him, and after ten or fifteen more of those, she ran out of steam and promptly fled from the room.

-.-.-.-

It took Karin a day before she could work up the courage to talk to Hitsugaya about what happened. She avoided his gaze at first, picked at her breakfast with skin burning with embarrassment, walked with him in silence for their last day at school before summer vacation. But it wasn't hard to get an idea of what happened. Before Karin had even woken up, Hitsugaya cornered Isshin, seething and hostile.

"You told her?" Hitsugaya practically hissed. "Both of them?"

Isshin sat down in his office chair inside the clinic, weighing Hitsugaya with his gaze. "What good what it have done to hide it?" he said finally. "I'd already taken my time telling Ichigo, and that ended up presenting its own set of problems. The girls are old enough. They needed to know."

"This is the last thing the Gotei 13 is going to want to hear," Hitsugaya said furiously. "We—you were supposed to be keeping them safe. If those two decide that pursuing their Quincy powers is more worthwhile than turning them into Shinigami, how do you think that's going to sit over in Seireitei? The place where it was decided to exterminate the entire population two hundred years ago?"

"That's the girls' decision to make," Isshin said, levelling Hitsugaya with a dangerous look. "I see now that I was wrong to do what I did. I thought if I raised my kids normally, gave them human lives, that they would be safe from all this." He waved his hand through the air wearily. "They never had a chance. Not with the blood that runs through their veins. With the way things were progressing, it would've done more harm than good not telling them the whole truth."

Hitsugaya resisted the urge to start screaming at him. "How the hell do you expect me to be able to keep them here safely like this?" he said. "I still haven't figured out how to tell them about Yuzu's Zanpakutō without making her sound like a nuclear weapon. A sword with the potential to break another's bankai? She'll be lucky if she walks away with her Reiryoku intact. And if Karin—" His jaw tightened. "She'll be lucky if she walks away with her life."

"If that is your belief, then it's true that it would be better if Karin forgot about her Quincy side," Isshin said. "But I can't be the one to tell her that."

"Even if it saves her life?"

Isshin suddenly slammed his fist on the table, his expression thundering. In spite of himself, Hitsugaya had once taken orders from this man, and a part of him quelled in the face of Isshin's silent rage.

"Do not talk to me like my daughter's life is of no consequence to me," he said in a low voice. "I would kill a thousand men if it meant my children are safe. But I _can not_ tell her what to do with a power that does not belong to me. If anybody had any authority on this matter, it was Masaki, and whether or not she knew what her children were is lost to me. But go ahead," he added, eyes turned black. "Feel free to do what you believe to be my part."

Hitsugaya had left him then, hands shaking.

Karin finally caught up with him at lunchtime, taking him to the school roof for some privacy. They were both sweaty within minutes, shirts sticky and damp with it, but Hitsugaya refrained from complaining. Karin circled her arms around her legs and stared at her own kneecaps nervously.

"What is it?" Hitsugaya said eventually, when it was clear Karin would not begin the conversation on her own.

"I didn't know," Karin mumbled, and Hitsugaya had to lean forward to hear her. "I wouldn't have asked if I had…"

"Slow down. From the beginning. What was it that you were trying to do?"

"Did…did my old man tell you? About my mom?"

"I knew about it. Though he didn't give up the information willingly, either."

Karin sighed. "I don't know what I thought. That by trying to absorb reishi from something I would be…I don't know, more stable, more focused. I guess I was hoping something good would happen, that I'd make some kind of progress. I don't even have a reason for it. I just wanted to know what would happen."

"So that's why you wanted the snowman?"

Karin's hands clenched. "I was stupid. I should've tried to take it from something else, from—fuck, I don't know, from the trees or the houses or something a spirit had touched recently. I didn't think—"

"Karin," Hitsugaya interrupted, "just explain to me what happened."

"When I…after I absorbed it, you know, the snowman…I felt this horrible loneliness inside of me. More than loneliness, it was like…like being isolated. This feeling like I was hated, like I was feared, and it was so strong that I felt physically sick, like my lungs were going to burst from trying to hold in my scream. And it was…it was you. I felt it as clearly as it feels if I were to touch you right now."

Hitsugaya could feel his throat constricting. It made sense. Her embarrassment, her shame, her inability to look him in the eye. She'd touched something very deep inside of him, and it was so raw and private that she couldn't help but like she'd broken some kind of unspoken taboo. He felt her mortification as acutely as his own, burdened with the knowledge that Karin had felt something that he'd _never_ spoken about out loud, with anyone.

"It's…" Hitsugaya tried to regain his composure. The impulse to distance himself from Karin until things blew over was strong, but that wouldn't have been fair. "It's not your fault. This is the first I've ever heard of something like this. If I had known, I wouldn't have given you that thing in the first place, either."

Karin physically recoiled at that. _You and me both_ , Hitsugaya thought.

"I understand if you're angry," Karin said, her cheeks turning red. "And we—we don't have to bring this up anymore, if you don't want to."

Hitsugaya thought on that for a long time. They sat in silence, feeling the sweat running down their necks and their backs, the sun and the heat forgotten for a while.

"It's not just your fault."

Karin looked up at him.

"I have to hand it to you," Hitsugaya said. "You were persistent. Even from the beginning. No matter how many times I said my business was none of your business, no matter how often I questioned you following me, you still stuck around. When I didn't show somewhere, you came to find me. I think, after a while, I got so used to people running in the other direction that it became easier to chase them off before they had the opportunity to come up with the idea themselves."

Karin frowned. "Tōshirō…"

"It's fine," Hitsugaya said. "The truth is that that was a part of me, a long time ago. And it bothered me enough that even when I started to have people I could rely on, I was in denial for a long time. I still thought that I was alone. I guess what I'm trying to say," he scratched his neck, turning sheepish, "is that you're one of the people that hasn't run away, despite my best attempts. So, thanks, I guess."

Karin stared at him, stunned. "You're…not angry?"

"For what? You couldn't have known. It'd be a waste of energy. But I do think you should refrain from trying something like that again until this situation with the Garganta is resolved. The Gotei 13 are getting nervous, and the last thing I need are more reasons to put them on edge."

"On edge? With my Quincy powers?"

"I don't know how much your father's told you about the animosity between the Quincy and the Shinigami, but yes. In fact, the fact that the Ishida family remains alive after the Wandenreich invaded Seireitei is by sheer grace of luck. So try and keep a low profile with that until we clear things up here in Karakura Town," Hitsugaya said.

"After the what?"

"After—seven hells, never mind, that's too long of a story to get into. Ask your father."

"Lazy," Karin rolled her eyes. "And for the record, your personality is only mildly condescending. I have no idea why people would run away from you."

"Your sarcasm is becoming more grating by the second."

Karin laughed at that, bumping shoulders with him. It was way too hot to have someone's arm pressed up against his, but she didn't move away. "You know," she said, "for someone who has an ice-type Zanpakutō, I kind of expected to feel cold, if anything. But I didn't. Why do you think that is?"

"How should I know? I didn't think you'd be feeling anything until you told me." Her skin was smooth, clammy like his from the heat. Hitsugaya tried not to dwell on this. "Anyways, I've been meaning to ask you. Did Nomura do something weird to you the other day?"

"Hm? Oh, you mean when he came to say hi? Nah. He just had really soft hands. It was like being caressed by a kitten."

"Do you realize how unbelievably creepy that sounds?"

"Then I've done my job," Karin grinned, and laughed again when Hitsugaya shoved her away in disgust.

-.-.-.-

The first day of being free and outdoors during school hours was refreshing. The restaurant and café patios were all open, and filled with customers soaking up the good weather as they drank iced coffees and chatted with friends. People were out shopping, or taking their children for a walk, clad in fashionable flowy skirts and wide-brimmed straw hats. Tree leaves rustled in the barely-there breeze, creating a kaleidoscope of shadows on the ground beneath their foliage. It felt like summer.

Karin sat one of the benches where the shadows of the trees reached, sandal tapping impatiently on the ground. She'd broken away from the guys with the excuse of going to buy a swimming suit, and sure enough it had chased them off pretty quickly. She pushed her sunglasses up her nose, then reached into the pocket of her jean shorts and pulled out the note Haruki had slipped into hands the week before.

 _Saw a red fox over by the pond yesterday. You should go and check it out. It's always there around 12 o'clock._

Karin read the note over twice. It had taken her a little while to decipher it. Karakura Town didn't have any ponds; the only bodies of water were the Onose and Karasu rivers, which converged into one in the northwest part of town. Eventually she searched it up on the internet, and discovered that The Pond wasn't a literal pond. It was a bar, located within the shopping district; she sat about twenty feet away from it now, eyes trained on those walking in and out of the entrance.

The red fox was something else, too. Even if they had those here, they'd probably be hiding out in one of the community parks, nowhere so close and so urbanized as this. Karin decided that it probably meant _trickster_ , although in what context and to what extent, she had no clue.

Karin shoved the note back in her pocket and took a drink from her water bottle. She glanced at her watch. 11:52. Even if she didn't know what exactly it was she was looking for, the note seemed confident that she would know when she saw it. She watched the bar and its clientele with tense muscles, pulse racing as the minutes ticked by.

When it finally came, she nearly missed it. It was from first appearance a normal businessman, dressed in a sharp navy suit with a lilac tie, his face partially hidden beneath the rim of his fedora. He turned slightly, intending to walk into the bar, and Karin saw in his left hand a plain black laptop bag.

On its outside flap was the three arrowed symbol of the Momiage Publishing House.

"Hey!" Karin shouted, standing up so fast that her water bottle fell to the sidewalk with a loud metal clang. She hadn't meant to be so loud, but it had caught the man's attention, and for a moment he looked at her with open-mouthed shock.

Then he turned tail and ran.

"Oh _fuck_ ," Karin hissed, and burst into a sprint, water bottle forgotten.

The man ran hard, recklessly pushing people aside as he fought to achieve his escape; but in doing so he widened the path for Karin, and she yelled "Sorry! Sorry!" as she flew past, catching the bewildered looks of bystanders, who watched as a teenage girl chased after a grown man.

The man swerved suddenly into the street, right into oncoming traffic. A cacophony of car horns rose up as he kept his reckless pace, narrowly avoiding several vehicles, inches away from knocking his legs out from under him. Several braked hard and screeched to a halt; others zoomed past him, holding down on the horn as they went. Karin scrambled through the chaos he left behind, launching herself over the trunk of one car and sliding her way across the hood of another, barely able to keep herself from tripping over her open-toed sandals in the process. Why the hell hadn't she put on some _shoes?_

"Wait!" Karin yelled. The man paid no mind. On the other side of the street he ran straight through a flock of pigeons that an old woman was feeding; Karin had to stop herself from getting smacked in the face by about ten different birds, before they had flown far up enough for her to start dashing again at full speed.

The man turned hard and darted down one of the market alleys, and Karin cursed, chasing after him. The market streets were considerably narrower than the sidewalks outside, crowded with stalls and crates filled with people's fish and produce. The man zipped through it like a track athlete, swerving easily among the shoppers and vaulting himself over towers of boxes. Some he knocked over behind him as he past, spilling oranges and cabbages all over the ground, an additional obstacle to try and slow his pursuer down. Karin leapt over the wreckage, thankful for every time she landed without breaking her ankles, shouting more apologies and commands of "Hold it!" as she darted through the market.

The other end of the alley broke wide, the west side of the Karasu river greeting them. The man halted momentarily at the sight of the river, still well above its usual height and rushing past him loudly, its waters brown with mud and debris. He turned left, trying to run along the riverside, but he was tiring out, and his hesitation had cost him. Karin sprinted harder, gaining slowly on him, until she was able to reach out and grab a fistful of his blazer.

The man struggled, trying to squirm out of his clothing, but his arms twisted in the sleeves and he cried out. That was enough; Karin got another handful and promptly threw him to the ground, hard enough that she could hear the breath being knocked out of him when he went down. She quickly got down on one knee, panting, and grabbed him by the front of his shirt.

"I've got you now, you piece of shi—"

Karin stopped. It wasn't Iwasaki. There wasn't any spiritual pressure coming from him, not even of the kind that attracted wandering spirits. He was completely and utterly void of any kind of power; he was just a human. She realized it the moment she touched him, and she stared down at the man cowering in her grip in dumb shock, his laptop bag raised defensively to shield himself.

"It was only one drink!" the man was howling, almost unintelligibly. "I didn't think anyone would notice! Oh, my wife will never let me hear the end of this—"

"Shut up! Who are you? Tell me your name!"

"M-My name is Takahiro Obata—"

"What is this?" Karin wretched the bag out of his hands, which, by some miracle, he'd clung on to as he ran. She jabbed her finger at the symbol. "This. Where did you get this?"

"I used to work there," the man wailed. A group of elementary school boys who'd been playing nearby heard him, and they pointed at them and hollered, excited by the scene they were causing. "Before it closed down. I'm just a simple businessman now! I'm a junior analyst, for God's sake!"

"Then why did you run away from me?"

"I thought you were there to spy on me! I was only having one beer, that's it, I didn't think anyone would ever notice! If my boss had proof I was drinking during my lunch break I'll be fired for sure!"

Karin looked at him in disbelief. "You ran away from a teenage girl because you thought your boss was trying to spy on you for drinking?" she screamed in his face.

Takahiro started wailing again.

"Get him, lady!" one of the boys shouted, the lot of them pumping their fists and cheering her on.

"Get lost!" Karin snapped at them, then practically tossed Takahiro back onto the ground. "Listen, you moron. I just risked my life chasing you through oncoming traffic in a pair of my sister's sandals, which she will kill me for ruining. You're going to tell me everything about when you worked at this company—what you did, who you knew there—or else I'll follow you to your office and accuse you of worse than having a beer."

Takahiro burst into tears.

-.-.-.-

"They didn't just grant them severance pay," Karin said, trying to fan herself with the collar of her black halter top. "They outsourced most of their employees to other publishing companies. I started combing through job portals and networking apps, and I found out most of them ended up in Tokyo. Of course, there's no way Iwasaki would post his entire CV on LinkedIn, but I figured if the bulk of them went to the same places then we could narrow it down to—"

"Stop for a minute," Hitsugaya said, rubbing his temples. "First of all, I didn't understand half of what you just said. Second, you found this guy how, exactly?"

They were in the living room, where Karin was lying sprawled out over the couch, trying to allow the tower fan to cover as much surface area of her body as possible. She'd come home sweaty and dirty, half of her belongings missing, and started talking so fast the Hitsugaya had to stop her in order to get her story straight.

"Is that from the freezer? Give me that," Karin said, and swiped Hitsugaya's bottle of green tea from the coffee table before pressing it against her neck. "I passed by him while I was out shopping. I thought it was Iwasaki, at first, cause he sort of matched the description you gave me a while ago, but I hadn't really gotten a good look at him before he started running. Plus he had the bag."

"So did he say anything about knowing Iwasaki personally?"

"Yeah. They weren't friends, he said, but the guy was a good worker and always showed up on time and didn't really come out to the functions and blah blah blah. Pretty much all useless information. Didn't know where Iwasaki had been reassigned to, except that he had a new job, at least. I left him alone after that."

"You probably traumatized him. What kind of atrocious look could you have possibly given him for him to run away so fast?"

"I didn't do anything. Guy was a huge pussy. Having a drink during business hours was probably the most exciting thing he's ever done in his whole life."

Karin offered his drink back to him, but Hitsugaya shook his head, making a face. Karin shrugged, then unscrewed the cap and took a huge swig. "Anyways. I guess my point is that we might have to plan a trip to Tokyo."

"And how exactly do you intend to do that? To begin with, where do you expect us to stay? With you brother?"

"Christ, no. We'll never get anything done with him breathing down my neck. Listen, Heita's been talking about doing a trip to the city for a while, do you remember? He's got an aunt and uncle down there that he visits every summer. I don't know what the likelihood is of his family putting up with all six of us, but even if they don't, I don't think you or I need to bother with a luxury hotel, do you? Heita said there's manga cafes in Akihabara that you can stay in for 1,800 yen a night."

"A _what?_ "

"Although, it'll probably be easier to just strong-arm my dad for some more money…either way, we can head over there and pretend like we're just doing a group trip with the others, and then we'll sneak off and weed Iwasaki out."

"This isn't exactly a two person job," Hitsugaya said dryly. "Even if all of that works out, how do expect to apprehend him with just the two of us?"

"I haven't…worked that part out yet," Karin admitted.

"Figures. Anyways, don't go running off and saying anything to Toujoin about a trip yet. Until we're certain Iwasaki's out there, we can't afford to leave the town with any less men than it's got right now."

"Sure thing, Captain," Karin said, flopping back into the sofa cushions. "You can still drink this, you know. I didn't shove it under my armpit."

"I'm not touching anything with your sweat on it even if it kills me."

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

WELL THIS IS A LOT TO UNPACK ISNT IT


	18. Chapter 18

The door was cracked open slightly, so Hitsugaya rapped his knuckles against it. "Hey," he called. "Your sister said the food is ready."

There was no response. Hitsugaya pushed open the door slowly, in the event he was about to walk into something he'd rather not think about. But it was just Karin sitting cross-legged on her bed, her back resting against the bedroom wall, sword lying across her lap. Her eyes were closed peacefully.

Hitsugaya hesitated. There was no point in trying to engage her now. It was impossible to rouse a person when they were performing Jinzen. But seeing her actively combating the source of all her troubles brought up a range of complex emotions that Hitsugaya didn't expect to feel. Karin was the only person in the world who could know what kind of personality her Zanpakutō was, but that was completely lost to her. It made him wonder if her sword really was angry at her for something.

"Tōshirō?"

Hitsugaya nearly flinched. Karin's eyes were open now, looking at him in confusion. He hadn't even noticed her waking up.

"You good?" Karin asked.

"Yeah," Hitsugaya said, trying to pretend like he wasn't embarrassed about being caught staring. "You've got good timing. I came to tell you about dinner."

"I know." Seeing Hitsugaya's expression, Karin added quickly, "Well, I didn't _know_ know, specifically. But I kind of got this feeling that you were nearby. My Zanpakutō suddenly kicked me out in the middle of our fight."

"Stop kidding around."

"I'm telling the truth," Karin said plainly, setting her blade aside and scooting off the bed. "Whatever. Maybe she just knew that I was starving."

"So am I. Let's hurry up and go."

"Wait," Karin said, grabbing Hitsugaya's wrist before he could leave the room. "I need to ask you something."

She'd been doing this a lot lately. Increasing the amount of physical contact they had between them. Hitsugaya noticed, because it was impossible not to, when she was touching him. She would use his arm to steady herself when they were on the train, or reach for his wrist when she wanted to get his attention, or fall asleep on his shoulder when she was bored of the movie her family had picked out. That last one had only happened once, and Hitsugaya had immediately pushed her off when it looked like she was about to drool into his shirt, but it seemed like if they were sitting together she would be close enough to constantly brush shoulders and hands more often than not. It all achieved the same general effect, which was a constricted chest and a loss of focus.

"I was wondering if you could help me out with something," Karin said. "This weekend."

"What is it?"

"So I kind of forgot to get Ichi-nii a present for his birthday. Don't look at me like that. Anyways, Yuzu and I are gonna make a day trip to see him next Monday, so I was wondering if you wanted to come shop for a gift with me."

Hitsugaya stared at her. "You think I know what kind of present your brother wants?"

"No, but you're a guy and I know you don't have any plans this weekend, so I figured you could help."

"Who says I'm not busy?"

"You're never doing anything unless I invite you to hang out with me," Karin said bluntly. "Which I'm doing now."

Hitsugaya sighed. "Fine. But if we're walking around I'm going to be checking in on a few things while we're out."

"Fine by me. I'm happy to help."

That was true enough. He might've been allowing her too much by having her accompany him in studying the Garganta, but it was easy to rely on her eagerness and cooperation. He certainly didn't get much of it from Matsumoto back in Soul Society.

"Alright, let's eat," Karin said, letting go of Hitsugaya's wrist.

Hitsugaya followed her downstairs, and briefly looked at the spot where her hand had been. He brushed his thumb along the pulse inside of his wrist, before Yuzu's chastising voice cut through his thoughts, and then the faint pressure on his skin was forgotten.

-.-.-.-

"Hey," Heita said, as he and Hitsugaya slowly drummed their sticks to the beat of _We Are!_. "I fully realize I'm probably asking the wrong person about this, but have you heard from Haruki at all since school ended?"

"You're right. You're asking the wrong person," Hitsugaya responded, eyes glued to the screen.

Today was another arcade day, but it was hard for Hitsugaya to find much to complain about; the place was indoors and fully air conditioned, and the lights had been dimmed to accommodate the flashing strobes of the arcade machines. He and Heita were playing Taiko no Tatsujin on the lowest difficulty, which was as much as Hitsugaya could handle. The others had wandered off by this point to do their own thing.

"I thought so," Heita said. "But I can't reach him. I'd asked for his number a while back in case he wanted to hang out this summer, but when I tried texting him I got a message saying that the number wasn't in service. Plus Kurosaki's been asking us if we've been able to reach him at all, and nobody has, so I'm starting to worry he's in a ditch somewhere."

"Wait. Kurosaki's been asking for Nomura?"

"Hey, pay attention! You're missing the beats dude. And yeah. She's asked us a few times, actually, so it seems like whatever it is she needs him for is important."

The song ended, but Hitsugaya dropped his drumsticks, scores forgotten. "Did Karin tell you why she needed him?"

Heita looked over at him and blinked, giving him a funny look. "No, she didn't. Just said she needed to talk to him. You can try asking her, but I highly doubt she'll tell you. When she decides she wants to keep her secrets, you might as well be talking to a brick wall."

Hitsugaya looked around, scanning the arcade for a familiar backside. Heita stared at him. "Hey, are you and Kurosaki, like, close?"

"What?" Hitsugaya said, louder than he'd intended.

"You called her Karin just now. I've never heard you use first names with any of us, ever. Even though I know at least Kazuya and I have told you you can."

Seven hells. "You must have misheard me," Hitsugaya said, hoping that the burning in his face and ears wasn't visible for Heita to see.

"Huh. Maybe. Although I could have sworn I heard you just now. Well, whatever. You go ahead and be buddy-buddies with Kurosaki. See if I care that you don't call us by _our_ first names."

"Will you stop your moaning?" Hitsugaya said, irritated. "I don't even call people I've known for years by their first name. Don't take it so personally."

"Right, right. I got it. I'm sure that really makes girls' hearts flutter."

"I'm going to throttle you."

"Look at this!" somebody exclaimed, and suddenly there was a green turtle plushie taking up Hitsugaya's entire line of vision.

"I got this at the crane machine!" Karin said excitedly, a bright smile all over her face. "And it only cost me 2,700 yen!"

"You spent that much money on the crane machine?" Heita shrieked. "Are you fucking crazy?"

"It's justified now that I have this Bulbasaur."

"This what?" Hitsugaya said blankly.

"Jesus Christ, you're both crazy. I need new friends."

"Good luck with that," Karin said, holding the Bulbasaur out to Heita. "Can you watch this for a second? I want to give this a go."

"Bold of you to assume I'll give it back to you when you're done," Heita said, tucking Bulbasaur under his arm. "Where's Uehara?"

"Was playing Double Dragon last time I saw him."

"Good. I'm going to go whip his ass," Heita said, and walked off.

"Which song do you want to play?" Karin asked Hitsugaya, drumming through the song list.

"Doesn't matter, I don't know any of them. Have you been trying to get in touch with Nomura?"

"Oh. Uh, yeah. Why?"

"Why? Are you joking? Haven't I said numerous times already that you shouldn't be associating with him?"

Karin set her drumsticks down and frowned. "Yeah, and I still don't get what your problem with him is. You get super cryptic every time I try to ask you."

"I have told you. You just haven't been paying attention," Hitsugaya said in a clipped tone. "For whatever reason he somehow knows more about you and me than he's letting on, and he's been lording that over my head and trying to get a rise out of me since day one. On top of that, I don't like the way he talks about you when you're not around. If you absolutely have to talk to speak with him then I would prefer that you take me with you. I don't want you meeting alone with him."

"Dude, what the fuck? Where do I even start with that? First of all, you're not my babysitter. Whether or not I meet up with Haruki alone or with the others is none of your business. If he's got something he wants to talk to me about in private then you can't just tell me to take you with me."

"What could he possibly have to say to you that he needs to meet you alone for it?"

"Jesus, I don't know, what does that even matter? Guy could be asking me to go on a date for all I know, but regardless, that's not something that I have to report to you."

"Are you trying to piss me off?"

"Oh, so that pisses you off? That Haruki would want to go on a date with me?"

Something like rage shot white-hot up his spine, momentarily blinding him. "Enough. I'm not going to play these games with you."

"Wait, don't," Karin said, catching his arm quickly before he could turn away. Her face was repentant. "Sorry. I'm sorry. I know you're just trying to look out for me, but you can trust me to take care of myself once in a while, okay? Believe me, if he's really as sketchy as you're making him sound, I'm going to notice. I'm not dumb enough to hang out with sociopaths."

"No, I…I shouldn't have said anything either." Hitsugaya looked away. Something about the way he'd reacted to Karin's taunt suddenly made him feel uneasy. It had been a rhetorical question, meant to make him realize the error of his words rather than actually upset him, and all he'd done was lash out like a child. It worried him.

Karin looked at him for a while. "You really think it's bad enough that I shouldn't see him alone?"

"Not to sound oppressive, but yes. I think it'd be dangerous if you met him alone."

"Then I'll consider it." Karin paused. "Look, I do appreciate you looking out for me, okay? I mean that. So thank you."

"That should be obvious by now," Hitsugaya muttered, still unable to look her in the eye. "Toujoin was telling me that the phone number he gave you was a fake."

"Maybe. I don't know. All I know is that he dropped off the face of the earth after summer break started. No texts, no way to find him online, no idea where he lives."

"So what do you need to speak with him for?"

"I just wanted to ask if he was free to chill. But it's fine. I'm sure I'll hear from him eventually." Karin picked up her drumsticks again and idly began adjusting the difficulty. "Maybe he went back to Sapporo for the break," she said after a while.

She didn't believe that. It was clear from the tone of her voice to the lines of her posture. "Maybe," Hitsugaya said anyway.

-.-.-.-

After that, the day almost went back to normal. Kazuya was the one who ended up raking in the most tickets, enough to trade in for a Boa Hancock figurine, so the others decided to celebrate by going for pancakes. The dessert cafe was busy, filled with tons of other arcade goers looking for a drink and a minute to wind down. Out of fear of not being able to hold down enough tables, only Hitsugaya and Eiji were sent to the front counter to place their orders.

"You sure you don't want anything else?" Eiji asked, scanning over the plastic menu in his hands.

"No. This stuff is way too decadent for me."

Eiji laughed. "You never fail to surprise me, Hitsugaya."

"Is that supposed to be an insult or a compliment?"

"I'm only joking with you." The line shuffled up a bit, so they both took three steps forward before Eiji continued. "I have a bit of a confession to make. I sort of overheard you and Karin earlier while you were talking about Nomura-san."

For a moment Hitsugaya froze, mind quickly scrambling through their conversation, trying to remember if he said anything that Eiji wasn't supposed to hear. "How much of it?"

"Something about you not wanting her to meet him alone. That part was a bit louder than the rest, I'm afraid."

Of course it was. "You probably think I'm overstepping my boundaries like she does."

"Perhaps. It's hard to know when it comes to Karin." Eiji paused. "I do agree with you that something seems a little off about Nomura-san. And I'm glad that at the very least she knows where you stand with him."

"I'm starting to wonder if it's just all in my head at this point."

"I can understand that. But something gives me the impression that your intuition is more reliable than mine. I trust you to know when it's an appropriate time to start keeping an eye out on Karin."

Hitsugaya looked at Eiji, and saw that he was looking across the cafe at Karin, who was engrossed in something Heita was showing them on his phone and laughing. Kei was sitting on Heita's other side, smiling in amusement. He appeared to be his usual self, apart from the fact that there were was a shadow of dark circles under his eyes.

"Has Uehara been acting out of sorts lately?" Hitsugaya asked.

Eiji blinked, as if surprised that Hitsugaya also noticed. "He has. He's been acting a little quieter than usual. Well, I should rephrase that. Kei has the exceptional talent of saying exactly what needs to be said and nothing more, which no one else in the group possesses, it goes without saying. Normally when he's quiet it's because he's listening to what we're saying. But this is different. Nowadays he's quiet because he's thinking. And I don't think he's thinking about anything we've been discussing."

"You haven't asked him what's on his mind?"

"Oh, I have. But it seems like I upset him whenever I do. I didn't want to push it."

Sounded like Hitsugaya would have to intervene sooner than he thought, then. Uehara didn't strike him as particularly stupid or reckless, but if he was losing sleep over this, then that meant he was probably edging closer to doing something that would directly jeopardize his safety.

"If it's no trouble to you," Hitsugaya said, "do you think you could keep an eye on him? Let me know if anything seems wrong?"

Eiji laughed, to Hitsugaya's confusion. "Sorry. It's just that it's a little funny hearing that, considering I was just thinking that someone needed looking after you."

"Me?"

"Yes. Unlike Kei, you're _always_ quiet because you're thinking. I don't know if you've noticed, but your natural resting expression looks like this." Eiji furrowed his eyebrows into a mock frown. "That seems to be the expression of trouble, as of late. I was considering asking Karin to look after you on my behalf."

"You're worried about _me?_ "

"Of course. You look a bit more taken aback than I was expecting."

"I don't understand," Hitsugaya said dubiously.

"About what? You're our friend. We're bound to be concerned if you look so troubled all the time."

"I…" Hitsugaya was shaken. Until now he had considered himself an outsider, a visitor. He didn't think there was any place for him here, in this tight-knit circle that they've held strong for years. He was under the impression that he'd only been dragged along for the sake of spicing things up. Now he was ashamed of having taken their friendship so lightly, and embarrassed to realize that the others held him in such regard.

"There's not," Hitsugaya said, with some effort, "really much going on with me. But I...appreciate your concern."

"Of course," Eiji said again. "You can always talk to us. Doesn't necessarily have to be me. I'm sure the others would be happy to help, too."

Hitsugaya said nothing. Suddenly he didn't know how to speak to Eiji. It had been a long time since someone had called him their friend. And it had ended painfully, with more anguish than he ever wanted to experience again. But he could feel a small, unexpected fluttering of happiness growing inside him, and that made him all the more embarrassed, causing him to look down at the ground.

"Here we go," Eiji said, as they approached the front of the line, and suddenly he was smiling again, as if their precious conversation had never happened. "We'll take two of the creme brulee pancakes…"

-.-.-.-

It was hard to shake off the restlessness Hitsugaya felt for the rest of the afternoon. It wasn't often he was overwhelmed with any particular emotion, but somehow he'd managed to do it twice in one day, with two different people. It unnerved him greatly. Dinner passed that evening in a distracted blur; he found himself tapping his foot and flipping through his book without actually taking anything in. When the bathroom door open around eight o'clock and a voice called "Toshiro, you're up," Hitsugaya almost didn't hear it. But then he did, and he got up from his desk chair abruptly and swung his door open.

"Kurosaki," Hitsugaya called.

Karin stopped with one hand on the doorknob to her bedroom, surprised. She was in her pyjamas, which meant that she was in a loose tank top and pink cotton shorts, skin still shiny and damp from her bath. She had her towel around her shoulders, protecting her shirt from her long dripping hair, out of its usual hair tie and falling gently around her bare arms and down her back. Hitsugaya instantly regretted his decision to leave his room.

"Toshiro?" Karin said questioningly, when Hitsugaya didn't say anything.

"Hey. Listen, I need to apologize for the way I spoke to you earlier. I realize I'm not your guardian, and I shouldn't be talking down to you as if I am."

"Oh," Karin said, "honestly, don't think twice about it. It's not a big deal. I was dumb to try to provoke you, anyways."

 _Provoke me_. The words turned themselves over in Hitsugaya's head, and it was only when Karin looked away and bit her lip that he realized that he'd actually repeated the words out loud, and quickly clamped his mouth shut.

Karin cleared her throat. "Listen, um. When you have some time—doesn't have to be right now—was wondering if I could talk to you about something."

"Now is fine," Hitsugaya said, glad for the change of subject. "I'd rather get it done before I turn in for the night."

"If you say so." Karin pushed her bedroom door open. "Come on in."

Karin had recently pawned Kazuya's old widescreen TV off of him, after the latter had decided to buy a new one with his saved allowance. Something about high definition and poor sound quality, not that Hitsugaya knew what that meant, but it seemed to suit Karin just fine, who had set it up to one corner for lack of better space. They sat cross-legged on the ground in front of it, with Karin cracking open the case of a new game before sliding the disk inside her console.

"I can't imagine you wanted to talk about playing games," Hitsugaya said, as Karin handed him a controller. "Or that you actually trust me to use this properly."

"You'll be fine. And yes, this is not what I wanted to talk about. I don't really know how to segway into this without getting too serious, though. The game is to help distract us."

"I don't think that's how conversation normally works."

"Probably not." Karin paused, whether because she was unsure how to begin or she was preoccupied with starting the game up, Hitsugaya wasn't sure. "I really don't know how else to say this, but I realized last week that I don't really know much about you. I mean, I know stuff like what your favourite foods are, and that you hate the heat, and that you actually think napping every day is going to make you taller than me."

"Are you trying to pick a fight?"

"But that's all surface stuff," Karin said, as if Hitsugaya hadn't spoken. "When I was sick...that was the first time I heard about you having any family. And I guess I feel kind of guilty. It seems like it's been all about me and Yuzu, these days. I never really stopped to ask how you were doing, or about anything that...matters, I guess."

"So you want to ask me about my grandmother?"

"Sure. If you're fine with that. Oh, here, which character do you want to play? I feel like this one sounds more like you."

Hitsugaya squinted. "I sound like a 43 year-old about to serve time for embezzlement and murder?"

"You're focusing on the wrong part. You said you and your grandmother got assigned to live together or whatever, right? Was it just you two?"

"No. There was someone else. I guess you'd call her an older sister. What?" Hitsugaya said, when Karin looked over in complete disbelief.

"You're fucking with me. You? A little brother?"

"If you're going to be judgemental I can leave."

"Sorry, sorry. It's just weird. But I guess that explains some things." She dutifully ignored Hitsugaya's sharp scowl. "She a Shinigami, too?"

"Yes. She finished school and got assigned before I ever enrolled, though. To a different division."

"Oh, yeah. My dad told me about how you were his subordinate or something before he fucked off to the human world. I'm genuinely sorry you had to go through that."

Hitsugaya snorted. "At least I didn't have to live with him."

"Did he ever tell you why he left?"

"No, but I heard it from someone else, eventually."

"Were you angry with him?"

"Angry?" Hitsugaya thought that over. "Maybe. I might've been angry at him for doing something so drastic for someone he barely knew. A Quincy, at that. It didn't make much sense to me at the time. He had everything—the title, a whole division of his own, a comfortable life. But in the end he married your mom, so I guess he knew what he was doing when he saved her life."

Karin mulled over that for a while. "It's strange, how everything we do comes back around again. Neither of us would be here right now if my dad hadn't done that."

"You sound uncomfortable."

"I am. I don't like to think that hard about stuff like that. Like whether our choices are all coincidences or connected somehow. Or what I would do if I had been forced to make a decision like that."

"No," Hitsugaya agreed, "it's not very pleasant. It wouldn't have been easy for your father to make that decision, either. But there's nothing to be gained from worrying about it now. Things seemed to have worked out the way they are. You're here, after all."

There was no answer to that, and Hitsugaya looked over, wondering if he'd said something wrong. He found Karin staring at him. Not in any way that was discreet, or could be played off as insignificant. She was staring him full in the face, sitting so close that she'd barely have to lean over to touch him, and she was doing it so purposefully that Hitsugaya found himself frozen in his spot, unable to break eye contact.

"You're here too," Karin said. "So I guess you must be right."

She was close. Close enough that Hitsugaya could smell her soap, still lingering on her skin, and all of a sudden he felt dizzy. He quickly looked back at the TV screen. "If you say so," he said, heart thudding.

Karin stared at him for another full five seconds—Hitsugaya felt every moment of it, as if it was burning a physical hole in his face—before she sighed, and turned her attention back to the game herself. "Hey," she said in surprise, "I can see your character's dick."

-.-.-.-

That night Hitsugaya dreamt. He dreamt that he was a seagull, flying over a huge and endless ocean, blue waves touching the horizon as far as he could see. Below him the water was clear, so he could see the colourful forests of coral, fanning and blooming vibrant hues of green and pink and golden-yellow. Further down there were trenches, and Hitsugaya could see schools of odd-looking fish, ones with pale bulging eyes, others with strange protruding jaws of hair-like teeth; and finally, even further down, a voice. He couldn't see where the voice was coming from, but it was singing—or crying?—the echoes of some woeful lament floating up to the surface of the water.

In his seagull form Hitsugaya circled around, crying out wordlessly, trying to find the source of the voice. In the distance he heard someone calling his name, and where there had previously been nothing but an empty expanse of water, there was suddenly a small sailboat, and Karin was sitting inside of it. She stood up in the boat and reached for him, arms extended, and Hitsugaya swooped down and landed in her embrace.

Hitsugaya woke up then, and he felt cold and sick, even as he was covered in sweat.


	19. Chapter 19

Sunday rolled around. It had drizzled evenly throughout the night and stopped short of 4am, just enough to ensure that a thick layer of humidity would be choking them for the rest of the day. Tiger lilies were in bloom now, their spotted petals pulled back to show off the black pollen tips inside. The droning of the cicadas rose steadily in volume, and by 10 o'clock they were a deafening chorus, bound to stir even the latest of sleepers.

Hitsugaya sat slouched on the living room sofa, staring blankly at the television screen. The tower fanned whirred gently in the background, a faint hum beneath the voices of the TV show hosts. A forgotten cup of cold tea sat on the coffee table in front of him.

Karin was still getting ready. She'd barely exchanged two words with him since Thursday night, which had to mean something, but Hitsugaya hadn't known how to tell her that he wanted to back out of their shopping plans. It seemed like he didn't know how to tell her anything, these days. He could feel his stomach curdling with dread at the thought of spending the entire day together.

Hitsugaya leaned his head back into the sofa cushions and stared at the ceiling. It was getting harder to pretend like being around her didn't...do things, to him. Just looking at her now made the air seem thinner, more difficult to breathe, and nothing he learned during his years in the Gotei 13 could have prepared him to handle this. And there was no one to ask about it, either, on the grounds that every single person that came to mind would only inflict further mortification on him. He was alone with his thoughts, and he wasn't sure if that was better or worse.

"Hey."

Hitsugaya flinched slightly, unable to stop himself. Karin stood on the edge of the living room, shouldering her bag over her right arm, watching him. She was dressed unusually in a bright yellow button-down top and white shorts, a stark contrast from the dark palette that the rest of her wardrobe consisted of. Hitsugaya looked at her, and his heart clenched so painfully that he almost winced.

"You ready?" Karin asked.

"Yeah." Hitsugaya stood up, glad to hear his voice coming out normally. "Let's go."

-.-.-.-

The cicadas were somehow even louder in Tsukabishi Park, so much so that Hitsugaya could barely hear Karin's footsteps behind him as they waded through the bull thistle and foxtail grass. She followed him steadfastly and without complaining, even though the prickly weeds must've been scratching at her legs.

By now Hitsugaya's teenage appearance had essentially become common knowledge among the troops stationed in the World of Living. He was hoping that the novelty had worn off, and that he could go through his rounds in relative peace and quiet. But then they reached Garganta, and all four pairs of eyes standing guard fell on Karin, and Hitsugaya instantly realized his mistake.

"Captain!" Matsumoto jogged over, one arm waving ecstatically. She hadn't bothered to change out of her civilian clothes, a flowery dress that looked a size too small to hold everything in. "And Karin! I didn't expect to see you two. What brings you here?"

"I came to check if there was anything unusual worth reporting." Hitsugaya spotted Matsumoto's makeshift picnic spot then, where she had set up a reclining lawn chair underneath the shade of the trees and a cooler filled with water bottles alongside it. "I can see now that there isn't."

"They have been strangely quiet as of late," Matsumoto said thoughtfully. Karin was staring at the Garganta uneasily, keeping a very loose grip on the back of Hitsugaya's shirt. They were close enough that her arm was mostly hidden from the others' curious glances, so Hitsugaya didn't tell her to let go. "Not as much traffic as there used to be. Maybe they sense us out here and are too afraid to come through."

"I doubt Hollows have enough brains for that kind of self preservation."

"I'd have said the same a few days ago. But it really has been quiet."

"And the other ones?"

"More of the same, from what I've heard. Are you two on a date?" Matsumoto said brightly.

"Absolutely not," Hitsugaya snapped, uncomfortably aware that Karin wasn't saying anything. Then again, that wouldn't have been unusual—she'd stopped arguing the point years ago, probably a worthwhile conversation of energy. "Can't you even pretend like you're doing your job?"

"You try sitting outside of this stupid thing day in and day out!" Matsumoto whined. "You don't even need this many people out here!"

"I didn't realize you were the area expert all of a sudden. But if you really feel so strongly about it, you're welcome to return to Soul Society and catch up on your neglected duties."

"This is bullying," Matsumoto cried. "You're bullying me."

"Maybe we can do something together later," Karin said placatingly, and then caught Hitsugaya's glare. "Uh—after you're done work, of course. Just the two of us."

"I would love to! At least someone appreciates my company."

"I'm leaving now," Hitsugaya muttered, and walked off, ignoring Matsumoto's offended noises behind him. He heard Karin saying a quick goodbye and running to catch up with him, and waited until they were out of the others' line of sight before speaking. "You shouldn't entertain her so much."

"And you shouldn't let her get under your skin so much," Karin said evenly. "The more you react, the more she enjoys it. Happens to Heita all the time."

"I think I know how to handle my lieutenant, thank you."

"So were those your underlings? The ones who were all gawking at me?"

"Not mine. The 2nd Division. What Suì-Fēng was willing to part with, anyways."

"Oh. I was about to be offended that you didn't introduce me."

"I have zero intention of introducing you to anyone," Hitsugaya said bluntly. "Not while you're still related to your brother."

"He's that popular?"

"'Popular' would not be my choice word."

"Doesn't it look worse if I'm following you around and they don't know why?"

"Quite frankly," Hitsugaya said, keeping his eyes on the ground so as to not trip over any tree roots hidden in the underbrush, "I'm not sure if _I_ know why I let you follow me around."

Karin went silent, and Hitsugaya looked over his shoulder at her. "I half expected you to have something to say about that."

"I did," Karin said right away. "You wouldn't have liked it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Better you don't know." Her expression was carefully blank. "Let's hurry up. My legs are itchy."

-.-.-.-

They walked to the shopping district after that, so Hitsugaya was covered in sweat by the time they got there. Most places were open today, but it was markedly less busy than usual; everyone was either at church or at home nursing a hangover. A few small children were running around the plaza and squealing with delight, clambering up the water fountains and trying to catch the stray drops on their tanned skin. Most of the shops had their doors open, and the brief blast of cold air that hit Hitsugaya as they walked past the entrances was a godsend.

"I guess I could get him a new watch," Karin said, wiping the sweat off of her own neck. She was mostly talking to herself. "Although I didn't actually ask him if he has one right now. I was going to get him a new game for his Switch, but those things are like 90 bucks, and I've never even seen that much money in my life. Manga is my safest bet, but he always pre-orders everything…"

Hitsugaya glanced around. It was reaching five o'clock, arguably still the hottest time of the day, and the heat was beginning to feel unbearable—he'd made a point of never staying outside for more than twenty minutes at a time all summer.

"Look," he said quickly, pointing. "There. A bookstore."

"Oh," Karin said, perking up. "Nice catch. Maybe I'll just get him into a new series…"

Hitsugaya didn't wait to hear the rest. He ducked into the store and heaved a sigh of relief, his clammy skin soaking up the air conditioning with relish. Karin entered with a little bit more tact, smiling and greeting the cashier on her way in, before turning her gaze towards the shelves.

Hitsugaya trailed after her as she slowly wandered the aisles, hands shoved into his pockets. He wasn't here for himself, after all, and he'd been recruited on the basis of being a second opinion anyway.

"Hey," Karin said, after ten minutes of silence. "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Has Matsumoto ever hid something from you?"

Hitsugaya looked up from where he'd been glancing over the bargain bin. That had definitely not been within the lines of what he'd expected. "I imagine so. She constantly has several machinations against me going on at once."

"Anything serious?"

"Even if she did, can I ask what brought this up?"

Karin looked around, trying to see if anyone was within earshot. "Don't tell Yuzu I said anything to you," she said, stepping closer so that she could lower her voice. "But I think she's managed to attain shikai already."

The look on Hitsugaya's face betrayed him immediately. "You knew," Karin said, although she didn't sound upset by this.

"I did. I'm sorry."

"She told you not to tell me?"

Hitsugaya nodded. Karin sighed, looking over the bookshelves again. "I didn't really expect her to hide it from me. I took it for granted that we always told each other everything."

"She didn't want you to feel worse. About not hearing your Zanpakutō's name."

"I thought that might have something to do with it." Karin pulled a book out from its spot amongst the others and flipped it over. "She's a pretty bad liar. Like me. She stopped bugging me about my solo training weeks ago. Doesn't bring it up unless I say something first."

Karin paused. "Am I that pitiful?" she asked.

"No," Hitsugaya said at once. "Far from it."

Karin laughed at the conviction in his voice. "Thanks. That actually made me feel a little bit better." She carefully put the book back. "I know she means well, so it's hard to be as mad as I want to be. I guess I hoped she would trust me to handle the news without...I don't know, whatever it is she thought I'd do. But it doesn't really matter. Jinzen's finally been going well for once, so that's a load off my shoulders."

Hitsugaya looked over in surprise. "What changed?"

For some reason that embarrassed her. She turned away, trying to hide the blush rising in her face. "Come on. Let's keep looking around."

-.-.-.-

They walked around for another half hour or so before dinner was suggested, and opted for conveyor belt sushi-the whole function of the restaurant slightly disturbed Hitsugaya, but it was one of the few places he was guaranteed cold food. He sat with his hands folded in his lap awkwardly as Karin ordered everything through the table's iPad.

"There's this place in Tokyo that my brother took us to once that's super cheap," Karin said, spooning matcha powder into Hitsugaya's cup and filling it with hot water for him. "You can get the tuna sushi for like 200 yen there. But the line-up was ridiculous. We were there way before the dinner rush and still waited like an hour."

"Do you visit your brother often?"

"Once in a while. Usually he just comes back home for a weekend. But he's got that internship right now, so we'll have to make the trek out if we want to see him this summer." Karin spotted their first dish—torched flatfish fin—and reached out to set it down on the table. "Which works well enough for me. With everything that's been going on with those holes and stuff, he'd have me and Yuzu under house arrest. Don't dip this one, it's salty enough on its own."

Hitsugaya obediently put the food directly into his mouth. "That sounds irritating."

"It is and it isn't. I used to feel like I was in his position, at one point. Like it was my responsibility to take care of everyone and look after them."

"Back when he lost his powers?"

"I found out immediately," Karin said. "The second he walked through the door that day I felt it. All of his spiritual pressure was completely gone. It scared the shit out of me, more than finding out he was a Shinigami did. I was thirteen, and suddenly was the only person in the family who could see spirits and Hollows clearly. The only person who could do anything about it, or so I thought at the time." She grabbed more dishes from the conveyor belt, salmon and spear squid and a large bowl of miso soup with soft shell crab. "It kind of messed me up."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Karin shrugged, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "It's all over with. Now everyone in the family is a Shinigami, which is a totally different kind of problem."

 _You can say that again_ , Hitsugaya thought.

"Just out of curiosity," Karin said, dipping her salmon in her soy sauce, "if I suddenly decided one day that I wanted to steal your position out from under you, what would I need to do to achieve that?"

Hitsugaya made a face. "You mean my position as a captain?"

"Uh-huh" Karin responded, around a full mouth.

"Yeah, good luck getting that information from me."

"We're just speaking hypothetically. I'm not actually interested in your job."

"Hypothetically," Hitsugaya said dryly, "you'd have to train for a thousand more years to get on my level."

"What the hell, rude." Karin swallowed, then slurped a spoonful of her soup. "This is really good. Did you want to try it?"

"But it's hot."

"What, you want me to blow on it for you? Stop being a baby. Here."

Hitsugaya scowled, but he leaned forward and accepted the offered spoon, opening his mouth without thinking. It was only when the strong umami flavour of the sea washed over his tongue that he realized that he'd just allowed Karin to feed him, from the same utensil she'd just eaten from. He startled back in his seat, narrowly avoiding choking in the process.

"Yikes. Well, more for me, I guess," Karin said, mistaking Hitsugaya's expression for disgust. She started eating with the same spoon again, and Hitsugaya hated her in that moment for not looking the least bit bothered.

"Why are you asking about my job, anyway?" Hitsugaya said, unable to squirm in silence.

"I dunno. I guess I've been wondering about what sort of things you and Matsumoto must do back in Soul Society. Or any Shinigami in general. Since I know for a fact that no one normally hangs out around here."

"No," Hitsugaya said, pulling more food towards him, "but I don't think you'd find the answer to that particularly interesting."

Karin hummed in response. Not in a way that showed she was satisfied by his answer, but she stopped questioning him nonetheless. Hitsugaya regarded her for a moment, curious, until he realized she was eating everything on their plates without offering him half, and proceeded to yell at her instead.

-.-.-.-

"I guess I should thank you for coming out," Karin said, swinging her bags as she walked. "In the end I didn't actually need you for anything, but it was more fun than going alone anyway."

"Am I supposed to be thankful for that?"

The sun had set by the time they finished dinner, which meant the walk home was pleasant enough for Hitsugaya to stop wishing something would suck him down a storm drain. The cicadas had ceased their screaming as well; a few bugs chirped here and there, but other than that only their own footsteps broke through the evening quiet. Hitsugaya looked at the lit-up windows of the houses they walked past, and found himself vaguely wondering what other human families ate for dinner.

Karin hadn't talked much since they left the restaurant. She was deep in thought, eyes fixed on the ground and lip caught between her teeth as they walked. Hitsugaya let her alone, assuming it was something that didn't require his opinion, or that she would eventually ask for it once she'd gotten her thoughts together. In the end he was sort of right.

"Hey," Karin said, almost gently. "When this is all over...When all of the Garganta are closed…how long will you be staying?"

"Not long. I've been away from Soul Society for longer than I was expecting to be. I imagine they'll want me to return immediately," Hitsugaya said.

"So the guys...Heita and Eiji and the others...will they get a chance to say goodbye?"

If it weren't for the fact that Karin had stopped walking just then, Hitsugaya might have stopped them himself. He sensed her slowing down behind him, so he paused and turned around. She was planted firmly in the middle of the sidewalk, eyebrows knitted tightly.

"I…" Hitsugaya hesitated, realizing he didn't like what he was about to say. "Normally when there are disturbances as big as these ones, we do a general memory wipe of the population. Especially if they don't have any spiritual awareness to begin with. It's more convenient for us that way. Less loose ends that need tidying up."

"You make them forget you?" It took a second for that to fully sink in. "But those are their memories. Even if some of them haven't been good, it's a part of them now. Isn't it lonely? When they forget everything and you don't?"

"What are you trying to ask me?" Hitsugaya said, because he could feel an uneasiness begin to squirm in his stomach.

Karin chewed on the inside of her lip. "I'm—I'm trying to ask you if _I_ get to say goodbye."

Hitsugaya's heart shot into his throat. He could feel his pulse beginning to race, in his ears, his head, his chest. "What?"

"Does it matter to you?" Karin said, voice tight. "Does it make any difference? That one day we'll say goodbye and not see each other again for ten years? Or twenty? Cause I—that's not the same, is it, as just saying 'goodnight' and expecting to see you again the next morning. Look, I…"

And Hitsugaya saw then in that moment that Karin was terrified. Her entire body was tensed up in a way that looked painful, her fists clenched by her sides, her neck strung tight. He saw in her eyes that it was taking everything she had not to look away from him.

"I haven't been honest with you," Karin said, every word demanding effort. "About...what's been going on, with me. You know, these past few weeks I've been pretending like you won't have to go away, in the end. Like you don't have a whole other life you need to get back to, like we're going to spend the whole summer like this and just…" She struggled, helpless to her next words. "I'm in love with you."

All of Hitsugaya's breath left his body. It took him a few seconds before his brain remembered how to work his lungs, how to take in oxygen. He sucked his next inhale sharply, but his vision was still beginning to swim, the edges going out of focus. A tirade of different emotions were fighting for his attention, with such blinding ferocity that it felt crushing, and he knew, _knew_ a part of that feeling was longing, and he tried to push it down, afraid of what it might mean.

"What..." Words began to leave his mouth, in a voice he didn't realize was his. "I...I don't understand. Why?"

Karin gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Why?" she repeated. "Because for the past month I've been on the edge of a mental breakdown, and you're the only thing that's keeping me sane. Because I felt like I could finally lean on someone with my problems instead of having to figure everything out by myself. Because you've been doing everything you can to keep my friends and family safe. Fuck, dude, I don't know. I could list a million reasons why." She looked away. "All I know is that I'm...I'm not ready for you to disappear forever. Or until the next big bad thing comes along."

Vaguely, Hitsugaya's mind registered that he was going into panic mode. He could hear how painfully thin his own breath was, ribs tight across his lungs, the pounding in his ears dragging him further and further away from the surface of reality. Nothing felt real outside of the beating of his heart. Karin was too close and a million miles away at once, lips moving, her bottom one red from worrying between her teeth, and a dim voice at the back of his head screamed and shouted that it wasn't fair.

"Stop," Hitsugaya said. The word barely came out a croak, a whisper.

"...thought it would be better if I didn't say anything," Karin was saying. "But I realized that I would've hated myself if I hadn't. And it…you might not believe me, but it's been part of the reason why-"

"You can't."

The silence that fell cut like a guillotine. Everything seemed to have frozen, the bugs, the leaves in the trees, the night air. For a full five seconds the two of them stood, entirely unmoving.

"What?" Karin said finally. Her voice shook.

"You can't," Hitsugaya said, and hated himself, more than anything else in that moment, for having to say it. "I'm sorry. I don't…" The words stuck in his throat. When he managed the words around the lump in his throat, his voice came out filled with regret. "I don't feel the same way about you."

"Oh," Karin said, quickly looking at the ground. "Right." She took a deep breath, exhaled shakily, breathed in again. "Sorry. I didn't mean to...make things complicated."

"Karin—"

"I should…I'm going to go for a walk. You don't need to wait up," Karin said, voice clipped and wavering. "I'm sorry."

"Karin, don't," Hitsugaya pleaded, but it was already too late, Karin turning on her heel and quickly walking back in the direction from which they'd come before he could even lift a hand. Without warning his throat finally clenched so tightly that his eyes began prickling, hot and vulnerable, and it was with fear and self-loathing that he turned himself and nearly ran in the opposite direction.

"Fuck," Hitsugaya cried, teeth clenched. "What have I done. _Fuck_."

Nobody answered him, not even the lilies.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Yes hello I am still alive! Specifically I have escaped the jaws of death brought about by typhoon hagibis but I am alive and well and have made it home safely so here's to agonizing over this chapter for two months straight


End file.
